Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

They keep saying that we can't afford the things that we all need to lead a good life. They keep saying there's no money to support renters, to lift people on income support out of poverty, to put dental into Medicare, to wipe student debt or to make child care free. But do you know what? There is always money for the billionaires. There's always money for fossil fuel subsidies. There's always enough in the budget for corporate tax handouts and for tax breaks for property speculators, because the system has been rigged. It's rigged by the big corporations, by the billionaires and by the politicians who take their dirty political donations.

The 10 richest people in Australia own more wealth than the poorest five million combined. Think about that for a minute. While families are skipping meals, kids are sleeping in cars and our health system is crumbling, 10 people hoard more wealth than five million Australians combined. This is the system built by the old parties for the billionaires and the big corporations. They gutted public services, privatised government businesses for their corporate mates, slashed taxes for the rich, let banks run wild and let landlords run amok. The rich got richer and the old parties told the rest of Australia to be patient. Well, the Greens have had a gutful. We're calling time on this. We will cap rents, tax billionaires and make the big corporates pay their fair share of tax so we can build quality homes and a better quality of life for the millions of Australians who desperately need it. Change is possible, and people will vote for it. (Time expired)