Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I look forward to making my contribution to this matter of public importance: the Abbott government's unfair budget based on broken promises and twisted priorities. It should come as absolutely no surprise to every senator in this chamber that I spend a heap of time—in fact, not as much as I would like to—in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. The reason why I spend a lot of time in the Kimberley region of Western Australia is that it is where I cut my teeth as a truckie, making my living from 1980, but I also have an absolute passion for whatever I can do to address Aboriginal disadvantage.

I was contacted about six or seven weeks ago by Sarah Cleaves, the manager of the Baya Gawiy Children and Family Centre in Fitzroy Crossing. Sarah wrote to me and then I rang Sarah back. She told me that the former Labor government constructed a number—about 38 in all—family and early childhood centres across the regions, but in the Kimberley and the Pilbara there were no less than four built: one in Roebourne, one in Fitzroy Crossing, one in Halls Creek and one in Kununurra. For a range of reasons, these centres have been absolutely successful. They have been successful in delivering a number of outcomes to not only Aboriginal children in these centres but also to white kids that live there.

I want to walk you through, in particular, Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek. For those of you who have no idea, Fitzroy Crossing is a long way from nowhere, stuck between the towns of Derby and Kununurra, which are government centres in the Kimberley, and Halls Creek is 300 kilometres to the east of Fitzroy. Its closest town is Kununurra, 350 kilometres away. These family centres are not only creches or early childhood centres; they also offer community services and functions, and importantly they deliver the opportunity for allied health services. Aboriginal people and white people of the Kimberley can have their children in these centres during the day, but there is also the ability for speech therapists and allied health visitors to come, grab a room and address some issues that the children may have or work with the children. There are not only two-year-old tiddlers; there are also three-year-olds and four-year-olds. Also, very importantly, after-school service delivery is given and the centres do not charge for that.

We talk about the cruel cuts in the budget. The Abbott razor gang has decided that these centres will no longer be financed by the taxpayer, courtesy of the Commonwealth. These centres rely on the $900,000 to operate each year because they are not in Perth, not in Canberra and not in Melbourne; Halls Creek and Fitzroy are not Sydney. People do not have the ability to jump three or four streets into the next suburb to go to another childcare facility. These are the only facilities in town, whether it is Baya Gawiy in Fitzroy or the Little Nuggets Early Learning Centre in Halls Creek. This unfair decision by the Abbott razor gang to completely stop the funding beggars belief beyond me, and I have a passion to deliver whatever I can to close the gap. We need to do everything we can to give not only Aboriginal children but white kids as well in remote and regional Australia the opportunity for a decent education, plus the allied health benefits that come with it, plus the community benefits that flow on from these centres.

I only have a couple of minutes left and, believe me, I could go for hours on this.

Sean Edwards (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Please do.

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know that comes as a shock to you, Senator Edwards. In fact, if you are lucky enough, you should join me one day and meet some Aboriginal people and some Kimberley people. It may enlighten you.

Zed Seselja (ACT, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Sterle, I would ask you to address your comments through the chair.

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Through you, Mr Acting Deputy President, I have changed my mind—I don't want him anywhere near me! I was in the United States when Andrew Forrest launched his Indigenous jobs and training review, but I caught bits and pieces of it. The first thing I did when I visited Roebourne, Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek and Kununurra was to meet with my Aboriginal mates from the corporations and Aboriginal progressive leaders in Aboriginal communities throughout the Kimberley as well as going to these early childhood and family centres. They wanted me to know very clearly that they are absolutely and completely gobsmacked by this government's decision to cease the funding of these early childhood and family centres. They wanted to make sure I knew that the first recommendation from Mr Forrest's Indigenous jobs and training review goes to early childhood.

I want to quote a couple of lines from Mr Forrest's report. He recommends:

That all governments prioritise investment in early childhood, from conception to three years of age.

That ticks the boxes in these early childhood and family centres in the Kimberley, in the Pilbara and in Roebourne. He goes on to say:

Governments must work jointly to agree on, and put into effect within 12 months, a new approach that includes progressive investment to implement integrated early childhood services and to dramatically improve attendance.

It will come as no shock to some on the other side that this is what is already being done through these early childhood and family centres in these remote and out-of-the way centres—particularly in Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek, which are absolutely miles from anywhere, where these are the only infrastructure facility that provides this. Mr Forrest goes on to say:

In order for young children to be school-ready when they enter formal schooling, governments will need to work jointly to coordinate and deliver intensive prenatal and holistic preventative early childhood services in target communities.

But this is already being done. This is not new. I welcome Mr Forrest's report but this is what is already happening at these early childhood and family centres in the Kimberley, in Fitzroy Crossing, in Roebourne, in Halls Creek and in Kununurra.

I plead with the Abbott government: if you cease funding these vital facilities in towns like Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek, you are condemning Aboriginal kids who have no other option, and the white kids who are lucky enough to be there because their parents are working, to a life of absolute disadvantage. There is nowhere else these kids can go. I witnessed two of the cutest kids I have seen, two Aboriginal kids, who were asleep while the others were playing. They were asleep because they do not get that quality sleep at home. They rely on this very vital facility. I urge the government to overturn their decision.

Sean Edwards (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It gives me great pleasure to rise and talk about this matter of public importance that Senator Moore and her Labor Party colleagues have brought to this chamber. In fact, it is 1,563 days since the then Labor government first promised a budget surplus—and they went on to deliver none. So 1,563 days ago was the first time a Labor Treasurer uttered the words: 'We will deliver a surplus.' At that time, in 2007, the Labor government inherited a set of books that were in the best condition of any inherited books of a change of government in this nation's history. And then tragically, in 2013, just six years later, we inherited the worst set of books delivered to a changing, incoming government. So how can you sit there, as shrill as ever, admonishing this government for trying to get the economic train back on its tracks.

I thank Senator Moore for the opportunity to speak on the coalition's economic action plan—a strategy that is now repairing the damage that I have just spoken about, that reckless economic management. We are now putting in place the settings for a strong and prosperous economy. The Australian people get that. They know that we are better managers of finances and they understand. You on the other side are of course more intent on whipping up little sections of the community by not representing truthfully the actual budget position.

The damage that was going to be inflicted with the budget that was handed down by you in May 2013, prior to the election—reading the polls, reading the tea leaves, you laid a series of landmines—included a projected hit to the budget of $166 billion worth of gross debt. That damage in May 2013, as projected by the Labor government in their budget back then, included accumulated deficits of $123 billion. That damage included an interest bill that is now $1 billion per month, $1,000 million a month. We have heard a lot about that. Even in taking note of questions today, we heard about what could be built for $1,000 million a month. We could build a teaching hospital in Hobart. We could build half of the Adelaide Hospital and pay cash for it within two months. That is the effect of debt on this country. Sadly, Labor's damage also included 200,000 more unemployed Australians. All of this was under Labor's watch.

The coalition government is giving the budget back under control. It was elected to do this. The government has already created around $15 billion worth of savings over the forward estimates through measures implemented without the need for legislation. We continue to prosecute structural reforms which will have the biggest impact on the budget over the medium to long term. The structural reforms include the reintroduction of the fuel indexation changes, to welfare and a modest GP co-payment. In my seat of Wakefield in South Australia we know very well the legacy of Labor's economic mismanagement. Under Labor, teen unemployment rose from 19.6 per cent to 27.3 per cent. There were 55,000 more Australians unemployed after six years of Labor. The government is adjusting the relationship between government revenue and government spending, so that it is sustainable. In other words, as businesses large and small know, as do families across this nation, we are ensuring Australian lives within its means.

Whether they run businesses or manage family budgets, Australians know that money coming in must not be exceeded by money going out. This is a concept which completely escapes those opposite. Instead, we are engaged in this cheap, political exchange with the most serious of issues. This is about the right of future Australians, indeed our own children, to enjoy a standard of living which is not inhibited by having to service their parents' debt. We cannot lay down on mismanagement of our nation's economic finances.

On the basis of Senator Moore's question, it would appear Senator Moore and her party must hold a very loose group on the concept of fairness. While it is hardly fair to knowingly saddle our children with our debt, the debt of living beyond our means, it is hardly fair for their children to inherit the interest bill. It just would not be fair for the government to maintain Labor's status quo, which is why we are moving and why Australians are growing to understand the reason we are going to fix this nation's structural economic woes.

Cory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I advise honourable senators that the time allotted for this debate has expired.