Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

What a dark day in Australian politics. What a dark, dark day in Australian politics. You know there are people tonight deciding whether they're going to pay the rent or put food on the table. There are parents tonight who are deciding whether they can afford to buy schoolbooks for their kids or send their kids to school camp. There are people tonight deciding whether they can afford to pay for medicines or fix up their car. And today the Liberal Party has decided to give $90 billion to politicians, to millionaires, to CEOs and to bankers. That's what has happened today.

The Liberal Party call themselves a party of responsible economic management. There is nothing responsible about ripping $90 billion from our budget and lining the pockets of the wealthiest Australians. You call yourselves responsible economic managers and you say this won't impact on services. Well what crap! What utter crap! Ninety billion dollars, money that should be spent on Newstart, on Medicare funded dental care—

The CHAIR: Senator Di Natale, you've used unparliamentary language—

Well, what rubbish, what utter rubbish! What nonsense! What bunkum!

The CHAIR: Senator Di Natale, please resume your seat. I hadn't finished. I'm asking you to withdraw that unparliamentary language please.

I withdraw 'crap' and replace it with 'rubbish', with 'nonsense'—

The CHAIR: Senator Di Natale, please resume your seat. On many occasions I've requested that senators not repeat the unparliamentary language, as you just did, so please just withdraw and continue.

I withdraw.

The CHAIR: Thank you.

It's utter nonsense. It's rubbish. It's garbage. It is an untruth. You cannot take $90 billion from the budget and not have an impact on our services, on our schools, on our hospitals, on Newstart, on all of the things that we know are the foundations of a decent society. You call yourselves responsible economic managers; you're not. You're just continuing the failed trickle-down economics that have led us to this mess, that have entrenched economic inequality in this country.

The Labor Party rightly campaigned against economic inequality in the last election. They showed some courage. They recognised that the tax system was a powerful tool to ensure that the rich don't keep getting richer while the poor get screwed. They made sure in that election campaign that they offered a choice, and it was the right choice. And what are you doing today, your first real test? You're capitulating; you're caving in. You're basically saying, 'We're waving the white flag because we aren't going to take it up to you.' What a disgrace! The Labor Party, which have supported progressive taxation for a hundred years, are now saying: 'We are with the neo-Liberals. We are with the Tories. We are with a party that wants to take Australia down the path of Trump's America.' Well, show some courage; toughen up. Be an opposition; take the fight up to them. There are so many Australians in this country who are crying out for leadership, and you've caved. You've crumbled. You've given in at the first sign of pressure. People held high hopes for Anthony Albanese, but if this is a sign of where the modern Labor Party are going, well, frankly, we're stuffed.

The Greens today, almost single-handedly, have shown themselves to be the real opposition in this parliament. We will fight at the next election to make sure these tax cuts are repealed, and we call on you to join us, to work with us, to make sure that the tax system is used to address inequality; not entrench it, not continue the divide that exists in Australia, where if you've got the means we'll look after you and if you haven't, well, tough luck. That's not the Australia I know. That's not the Australia I believe in. That's not the Australia that I think most Australians want for themselves or for their children. Make no mistake: we will unequivocally put the spotlight on you to make sure you repeal this vile piece of legislation at the next election.