Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you to Senator Walsh for the question. It's rare to get an interjection on a dixer but I know it's early days in the process of dealing with the change of government on that side.

I would say this: as we start this new term I hope all of us in this chamber recognise the privilege with which we have been entrusted in whichever roles we have, and that is no less than the opportunity to change people's lives for the better. Those of us on this side of the chamber understand that good government can do this. Good government can keep us safe. Good government can provide help to those who need it and support when times get tough. And, importantly, good government can open the doors of opportunity. If you listened to the remarkable first speeches we've been hearing in the House from such a diverse, fantastic group of new Labor MPs—and I look forward to our new senators' as well—you hear the stories of the extent to which Labor governments have changed people's lives for the better and have enabled opportunities to be opened to people for their betterment. You see, good government can enable aspiration. It can enable people to achieve their dreams.

Nine weeks ago Australians did vote for good government. They voted for a better future. Labor has come to office at a time of great uncertainty. We've got an inheritance from the other side. They might not like to hear it, but it includes $1 trillion of debt from a government that wasted 10 years. It includes rising cost of living. It includes low wages growth. It includes climate change and its devastating impact, which they're still having a fight about. (Time expired)