Tony Sheldon (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

In response to those take notes: we've got a situation here where these are the people who, when we came into government, had left a trillion dollars in future debt. These are the people who have turned around and come in here to lecture us about what needs to be done in the Australian economy.

We know people are doing it tough; they're doing it tough because of the policies of those opposite. And they're doing it tough for lots of other reasons. We have implemented $23 billion worth of cost-of-living support across this economy and for people right across this country. And what have the opposition done? When we put up investing in energy bills relief, the Liberals and Nationals voted against it. We put in cost-of-living relief for energy, and they voted against it. What did they do when it came to cheaper medicines? People are struggling in our communities, trying to deal with the cost of living and what did those opposite do? They voted against that relief. That's what they're about: a trillion dollars of debt and voting against cost-of-living relief. When it came to cheaper child care, what did they do? Surprise, surprise! They voted against that as well. That's because they cannot see an opportunity to turn around and support the Australian public. When there are the hard times that people are facing at the moment, what do they do? They just want to make them harder!

We call for relief and we put policies forward to make sure there's relief and opportunity to turn around and actually have the economy be more productive—to get family members out there to work by having cheaper child care. What did they do? They voted against it. We do sensible relief and they vote against it. We do financial relief and they vote against it. We can look at increased rent assistance and boosting income support payments, which the Liberals and Nationals were against too. How many things can they be against?

Well, there actually are more! They were against affordable homes—they were against affordable homes in this country, in these tough times! They couldn't even get that right! They're against every measure to make it easier for the Australian public in these tough times. They gave us a trillion dollars in debt and then they voted against cost-of-living relief and things that could make this economy more supportive to the rest of the community.

But, don't worry: we invested in things that make the cost of living cheaper for people who are doing TAFE. That's because we want to organise people to have more opportunity, including not only those who are socially disadvantaged but others in our community across the regions, states and urban areas of our country through hundreds of thousands of fee-free TAFE places. You might think, 'That's a logical thing; they'd vote for that one, wouldn't they?' They voted against that as well! We're trying to get productivity boosts in this economy, with the opportunities for more jobs, more training and more skills to make sure that Australians have those opportunities, and they voted against them. It's cost-of-living relief and also a productivity boost, and they voted against it.

We can start looking at some of these things they voted against and some of their comments. I think the fee-free TAFE is just a real bobby-dazzler. When we think of that one, there are some of the comments made by the shadow minister for skills and training, the deputy opposition leader. Her view was that paying for fee-free TAFE, or having it in the first place, was a waste of money. They voted against it; they ridiculed people doing TAFE. They ridiculed all those people out there, all those apprentices, who have turned around and are making sure that we have a better and well-trained community with the opportunities out there. They voted against it and they spoke against it. They demeaned it!

Then we can look at some of the comments made by others about cost-of-living pressures when it comes to wages—every wage initiative we have taken. There was the minimum wage and extra payments for aged-care workers, which had been recommended by the royal commission. Those were things which meant that our loved ones actually have the care they need and that the 250,000 workers in that largely feminised industry have a more decent rate of pay. And what did they do? They voted against it! Minimum wage increases: they voted against them! At every opportunity to have companies and workers work together for better wages and more productivity, involving employer bargaining, they voted against it. It's because they just don't like the idea that people stand together and look after each other. That's what you do when things are tough; you don't sit on your hands and do nothing!