James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Let's be crystal clear about the political strategy being deployed today by the Australian Labor Party: they are seeking to engage in toxic, divisive class warfare and the politics of envy. It was evident in the question asked by Senator Kitching today, as it was in the question asked by Senator Chisholm—and, indeed, by the political advertisement released by the Labor Party today—that what they are hoping to do is divide Australians by class, to divide them into the haves and have-nots, and to make them feel a sense of resentment about each other's success. They're very clearly attempting to smear and target the Prime Minister, because he is personally wealthy, but I don't think it will be successful. I don't think it'll be successful, because I hold the Australian people in much higher regard than the Labor Party evidently does.

Australians don't resent each other when we have success. Australians admire those who have a go, who take risks and who have success. In this country it's something that we celebrate and that we are proud of, not something that we resent and seek to tear down and be jealous about. Yes, the Prime Minister is personally a wealthy man. I'm very proud to be part of a political party that is led by someone like Malcolm Turnbull, who, with his wife Lucy, has had a lot of good fortune. They've been fortunate to be born in a wonderful, prosperous and free country like Australia. They've been fortunate to have good health throughout their lives. But they've also worked very hard. They've had a bold vision for the future. They've taken risks and they've been rewarded for it. That's something that we should all celebrate.

Entrepreneurs, people who do take those risks in a free country like Australia, are only rewarded if they're providing something of value to others. You can't get rich in a free country like Australia by stealing money from others or by seeking government favours. You get rich by starting a business that offers services or goods to people that they are willing to pay for. In doing so, by accumulating wealth, that's evidence that you have provided something of value to your fellow citizens, because they've willingly parted with their own money in order to purchase those services from you.

Already entrepreneurs have made a great contribution to our society that we should be celebrating, but let's think about the other ways that they contribute. Of course, if they've had success they will pay a lot of tax in their lifetimes, as they should—the Prime Minister among them. He has paid a hell of a lot of tax over his time, and that's contributed to the services that we all enjoy. They've probably also employed people. They've provided jobs for others. They've personally taken risks so that other people can have the dignity of work and can benefit from employment, and that is a pretty significant contribution. And of course many are generous contributors to their community in the form of philanthropy. Many donate and contribute to and support great causes.

Yet the Labor Party seeks to demonise these people. It is trying to say that if these people benefit in any way, shape or form from a cut in personal income taxes or from a reduction in company taxes, somehow we should resent them and we should vote accordingly. The problem with that politics is that, if you hit these people, you hit all Australians, and if you demonise these people, you put at risk all Australians' wealth and prosperity. Whether we're modest income earners or high income earners, we all benefit from an economy that rewards success. We all benefit from an economy that says people who take risks and employ people are to be lauded and followed and copied, not resented. We don't benefit from an economy where we seek to punish these people; ultimately, we would end up just punishing ourselves. If we increase taxes on people's individual incomes, if we increase taxes on companies, if we become less globally competitive then, ultimately, we're hurting all Australians workers and all Australian families—not just those at the top and not just those at the bottom.

Australia is a remarkably equal and fair society. We rank highly in the world in terms of our equality. We rank highly in the world in terms of our social mobility. We do that because we have an open opportunity society. We have a society where you can put your hand up and have a go, take risks and be rewarded for that. Most Australians would much rather live in a country like that than in the alternative. We've seen, throughout history, around the world, that this undergraduate socialist idea of 'smashing the rich' is a dangerous one that is only going to imperil our nation and impoverish it, not allow it to continue to be so prosperous and free.