Sam Dastyari (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

And I acknowledge that and appreciate the indulgence of the chair. The idea that somehow there is some kind of socialist plot being led by the Labor Party—and political opponents—which we've heard Senator Cormann and others in this government try and express in the past couple of weeks, just shows how desperate, how unhinged and how lacking a basis in reality this government has become.

Frankly, what concerns me is this. As this government descends into the rabbit hole that is its own agenda, all we're going to see is more and more of this. All we're going to see is more desperate attacks and more desperate pleas. It wasn't good enough that there was some kind of international conspiracy involving New Zealand and the Australian Labor Party; now it's some kind of giant socialist plot that has been put together!

Look: there is a problem with inequality in this country. There is a problem that can be addressed, that should be addressed, that sensible policies can address, and the Labor Party will continue to put forward a series of sensible, reasonable policy proposals to the Australian public. Name-calling and making ridiculous kinds of claims is not doing anyone any benefit.