Gai Brodtmann (Canberra, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

You are the ones who have scared these people. They are completely confused. They are also doing it tough and they are struggling, and you are not listening.

In terms of this government being out of touch, I think its real blind spot is my electorate. The beloved electorate of Canberra has been hit so, so hard by this government. Since this government was elected, 17,300 Public Service jobs have been cut. Seventeen thousand three hundred Public Service jobs have been cut.

Mr McCormack interjecting—

Mr Chester interjecting—

I would like to see how the members opposite me at the table, from regional centres, would feel if 8½ thousand jobs were cut from their electorates just in the last 12 months. We had the Treasurer just one month ago, at the COAG meeting, saying to the ACT Chief Minister: 'Don't worry, Chief Minister; everything's going to be okay. The worst is over.' We open the papers yesterday, and what do we see? We see the finance minister talking about not only more cuts to education and health in terms of jobs but reviews of eight government agencies, and the collapse or consolidation of other government agencies. You have already promised between 1,000 and 1,650 jobs out of Defence. This is the future that this government offers to the people of Canberra.

This government is out of touch with Australia. It is out of touch with the people of Canberra. It does not understand the tough times that the Australian people are going through, particularly those from low- and middle-income backgrounds, pensioners, veterans and those on the disability support pension. Shame on you. We will continue to fight any unfair cuts in the future and any unfair budget. (Time expired)

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