Fatima Payman (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Those opposite love to talk the big, tough talk on national security and on keeping citizens safe. But let's not pretend that they do anything to keep Australians safe, because while the 'no-alition' is seeking to spread fear and grip people, doing nothing in offering a solution or coming to the table, the government is acting swiftly. We're doing everything we can by prioritising the safety of every single Australian.

The quick passage of the legislation through parliament that we've seen over the last few weeks was necessary in order to strengthen the visa conditions and impose criminal penalties, where needed, to keep Australians safe. It's just mind-blowing to hear those opposite claiming what the intentions of the government are, when we can pull out their records and see for ourselves what they did not very long ago.

If you haven't caught the memo yet, community safety remains a top priority for the Albanese government following the decision of the High Court in case NZYQ. It is disappointing but, of course, not surprising that those opposite are using this decision for political pointscoring. By voting against the bill, those opposite actually failed to walk the tough talk. Instead of providing an action plan or even coming to the table, all you hear from the 'no-alition' is no, no, no. Mr Dutton and Mr Morrison's Liberal leftovers are always looking for political advantage, wedging a divide and fearmongering, but they never have any solutions to offer. You'd think they'd have a basic understanding of the separation of powers and the role of the High Court in our system of government, but obviously they don't. I don't have the crayons or time to draw it out for you, so I'll simply say this in layman's terms: the High Court ruled that a scheme introduced by the coalition was unconstitutional. It's not that hard—it really isn't.

Those opposite need to look at themselves in the mirror and ask their current leader, Mr Dutton, where his priorities were. As Senator Brockman said, 'Governments are not only about reacting but about anticipating.' So the question begs to be asked: where were Mr Dutton's priorities when, under his watch, we saw the skyrocketing of sexual exploitation of migrants, organised crime and people trafficking? It's really evident that Mr Dutton and the 'no-alition' have nothing positive to offer to this country, its national security or the safety of the citizens. You're just saying no, no, no and opposing everything that will make life better for Australians.

What Australians are seriously going through is cozzie livs—cost of living, just in case you're wondering what that means. We are a government that understand the pressures that everyday Australians are facing and we're implementing measures to deliver targeted cost-of-living relief that, of course, those opposite have opposed at every turn. It's been an absolute disgrace. If those opposite really care, as they claim, about easing the cost of living, they would've supported the Albanese government's policies that have provided the relief in the last 17 months that we've been in government.

We won't stand here and have those opposite—the same people that gave us a trillion dollars of debt and broke the budget—lecture us about fiscal responsibility. I can go on and on about the incredible measures that we've delivered that people look back on and say, 'Wow! The government's actually doing its job—something we were not used to in the last nine years.' Something as simple as referring to the most recent monthly CPI indicator shows inflation being moderated at 4.9 per cent, which is much lower than the 6.1 per cent we inherited at the time of our election last year. So there it is. You really have nothing to say or show for it; you're just all talk and no walk.