Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Environment, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

We are in a caring and sharing parliament, Mr Deputy President. I'm pleased to be a part of that and I'm pleased to be able to take note of the so-called answers provided by ministers today in response to questions from the coalition.

I want to focus on economics. Senator Hume, the shadow finance minister, asked questions today of the Minister for Finance, representing the Treasurer, about the impact of Labor's policies on the economy.

There was absolute disregard from the government for what their policies are doing to our economy—that is, the economy in which Australians work and live, the one in which they are expected to pay bills and make ends meet and keep the lights on. There was no regard whatsoever from the minister who answered these questions—or tried to answer these questions, because frankly they do not care. That is apparent in the policies that are being brought forward by this government, including on industrial relations, and we see that typhoon of terrible policy coming towards us, barrelling towards this nation, because this government has gotten drunk on power in such a short period of time.

They don't understand what impact these policies are going to have on the economy and the capacity for Australian households and businesses to do what they need to do in this great country to which people come from overseas. Immigrants strive to get here to be able to take advantage of opportunities that are afforded to everyone in this country, but the longer this crew are in government, in partnership with the Australian Greens, the more policies like their industrial relations laws are going to strangle this country's ability for people to take advantage of these opportunities.

The national accounts today bear that out, but if you had listened to the minister's answer, you'd think it's all happening around us, there is nothing we can do—