Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

We understand that many families and households across Australia are doing it tough, and we all know—on that side as well as this side—that a lot of that has been caused by issues out of our control. We've seen that that has added to the inflation problem.

You've got to ask what the opposition actually stands for, other than standing against everything we put up. If they were really concerned about the cost of living, they would support the bill that we put up to help relieve pressure on families. They're fairly hypocritical on that side. They come in here and they vote against $3 billion of energy bill relief and other sensible interventions that we've put up, and then they complain that people are struggling with their energy bills. I find it very hard to come to grips with why they wouldn't support the bills we've put up but would then come in and complain that things haven't changed or whatever.

This issue goes back to long before we came to government. In fact, I've got a quote here from Sussan Ley, who accepts that the energy crisis was the Liberals' fault. She says:

Well, I hope that we get back to something that is well away from the chaos of the last few days. But this is huge problem for the Government.

That is true: it is our problem to deal with now, but we did not cause the problem.

And it's not one that was created since they—

us, the government—

arrived in power. Everything that they talk about, all of those factors at play were there when they came into Government with the plan. So, it is down to them to fix this.

What she is saying, as I interpret it, is that these issues were there when you guys were in government. And what did you do about things? Well, let me tell you what you didn't do. You had a minister that acted to hide the price increase caused by the atrocious Russian invasion of Ukraine, while we acted to shield families from them. You hid power price rises during the election. You voted against energy relief in the parliament. Over nine years, those opposite had 22 energy policies, and not one of them worked—not one of 22 energy policies in nine years.

The 'no-alition' are so negative that they even oppose the construction of affordable housing, including emergency housing for women and children escaping domestic and family violence and including homes for veterans. They opposed the National Reconstruction Fund, which is putting $15 billion into rebuilding Australian manufacturing. They opposed fee-free TAFE, which has so far given more than 150,000 Australians the chance to take up study, improving their prospects of getting a skilled, well-paying job whilst addressing critical skills shortages. They're just forever saying no. No wonder people are referring to them as the 'no-alition'!

What have we done? We've got wages moving. We're implementing cheaper medicines and strengthening Medicare. There is more support for vulnerable Australians and cheaper child care. We're extending paid parental leave. There is more affordable housing and fee-free TAFE. There are all these issues, and we've been doing them despite the best efforts of those opposite to say no to absolutely everything. Any of these policies can help relieve cost-of-living pressures, but, as I said earlier, those opposite say nothing or they vote against them, and then they come in here and grizzle and harp on as though they're so pure. Well, you're not.

They opposed an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to parliament, turning their back on First Nations people and the Uluru Statement from the Heart. They even opposed the safeguard mechanism, despite it being their policy. Given the way in which the Liberals and Nationals have conducted themselves, I think they have consigned themselves to irrelevance.

But from this side, having talked to a lot of people out in the community, it seems to me that the opposition only know how to stay no. You can oppose everything and be relentlessly negative, but at some point you actually have to make some decisions about how the country is going to be run. This relentless, negative, backward-looking, Trump style of politics really has—