Barry O'Sullivan (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to concentrate my remarks on an issue that is playing out in the mid-coast of my home state of Queensland, in the Bundaberg and Hervey Bay area. Tragically, unemployment in that part of the country is double the national unemployment figure—somewhere in the order of 10 per cent. We are hoping that that will be alleviated in due course with some of the developments we are happy to support just north of there, including the continued development of the Bowen Basin and the Galilee Basin, particularly with the onset of investment by Adani, one of five corporations who are intending to invest very significantly—billions of dollars—in that Central Queensland region.

Unemployment is having an impact on families. We know that 1,000 children receive breakfast when they arrive at school in this area. Think about that for a moment—1,000 children leave home and make their way to school without having had any nourishment for the morning, and there is anecdotal evidence to suggest that sometimes that breakfast is the only meal that they receive on a given day. One of the problems is that these children largely come from a sector of the community who are likely to be, I suppose, challenged by their economic circumstances, and, whilst there are no figures available, arguably many of them will be on some sort of social welfare. Many will neglect their children because of their own circumstances, including alcohol abuse, drug abuse and gambling abuse—not all; I don't want to reflect on an entire group particularly when the stats aren't available, but that seems to be the anecdotal evidence, and where surveys have been taken that's the sort of argument that is borne out.

The government has taken it upon itself to roll out the cashless debit card into this area—it's one of the areas that have been selected. This is enormously supported by the community of Australia. People fully expect that if social welfare payments are made to anybody then those payments are for the vitals of life, including making sure, to the best of their ability within the limited economic assistance that these payments provide, that they support their children so that we don't have a thousand children arriving at school without having received nourishment in the form of breakfast. Tragically, the Queensland Labor government have decided to select this as a key issue in politics, and they are undermining the government's effort to roll out this program in that area. Sadly, they have been joined in this by one of our colleagues, Senator Watt. I've often said of Senator Watt that he makes expressions with a thought to follow, and up there he has attacked the government by saying that there has been no consultation between the federal government and the local member in this case, Ms Donaldson, and their social services minister. Ms Donaldson repeated that in a Senate legislation committee hearing. Perhaps there's an argument there that she has even misled the Senate through her statements, because, when the evidence had been produced—and I'm happy for anybody who wants to explore this further to produce the physical evidence—we found that our minister had responded in writing to a letter from Ms Donaldson on 1 August and had agreed that they would meet, to clarify some of the issues around the program, and that the minister's office would be in contact to arrange a suitable time.

In the week of 7 August, Minister Tudge's office contacted Ms Donaldson's office to organise a time to meet. Dates in September were offered. These were declined by Ms Donaldson's office as being unsuitable. On 20 September, Minister Tudge's Melbourne office arranged and confirmed by email a meeting with Ms Donaldson for 4 October. With plenty of notice, there was a change of venue—for her to come to Canberra rather than Melbourne. She declined. On 4 October, Minister Tudge called Ms Donaldson's office and left a response. No calls were returned. On 15 October, the minister's office called Ms Donaldson's office and, again, offered to meet. On 16 October, the following day, Minister Tudge's office emailed Ms Donaldson's office—given there had been no reply to their offer—to organise a teleconference for 9.30 am on 23 October. These times were arranged and locked in. This is something that happens for many of us in our day-to-day lives. When Minister Tudge's office rang at the agreed time, Ms Donaldson's office said that the minister was not available. Minister Tudge's office called Ms Donaldson's office to arrange another teleconference time. Her office replied that they would provide a suitable time. That was on 23 October—and they haven't heard from her since.

There is a reason for this. Ms Donaldson is playing serious politics—along with Senator Watt, my colleague here in the Senate—because they want the vote from these people. We have a state election happening, you might have noticed, and that's what drives behaviour like this. There is no regard for the general benefit of the community and no regard for the thousand children going to school each day and not receiving nourishment. Ms Donaldson, when confronted with that, made the defence that she thought these children were double dipping—that they were eating at home and eating again when they got to school. In fact, she admitted her children were engaged in that practice. Well, for a woman who has had as much time as she has had around social services, she ought to know that that was a misleading and very dangerous statement to make.

We had a direct mail-out to over 32 constituents of this community, to engage with them on the rollout of the program. A phone poll of about 500 people showed overwhelming support, as is the case across Australia. There was 67 per cent support when formal contact was made. There were also about 5,500 direct emails sent to the constituents of this area to advise them. In every instance, they were afforded the opportunity, as they ought to have been, to engage with government on how this program would be rolled out. I don't want to blame her for politics and then start to play politics, but she has misled the Senate and the community on the government's efforts to engage with her, on the rollout, as an appropriate courtesy.

You don't need to take my word for it. Let me leave you with a quote from someone who was a very popular Labor member for Hinkler, Mr Brian Courtice. Courtice was a legend in that district. He had this to say about Ms Donaldson:

What she is looking for is votes out of it but she is going to lose the votes from the people who pay tax.

She is trolling for votes from the unemployed.

His words, not mine.

But I wouldn't expect anything different from her … she is a political dud.

She is a very disappointing member.

They're the words of Brian Courtice, not mine. They're the words of a Labor legend—about a Labor dud.

Disappointingly, she is joined by Senator Watt of the Labor Party, a current member of this chamber. Senator Watt ought to come down now into this place and put on the record that he doesn't agree with Ms Donaldson's protest that there has been no contact with her, because he knows full well there has been contact. Senator Watt is always a little bit careless around the facts in relation to matters, but here is an opportunity for him to clear the air. Ms Donaldson may well have misled a Senate inquiry, and we'll have a look at that over time, but for the good people of Bundaberg and the good people of Australia, whose taxes are to be wisely invested, this program is going to proceed for the benefit of the community.