Pat Conroy (Charlton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to highlight the strong objection of the people of Charlton to this very unfair budget—a budget that cannot work out whether it is putting out a bushfire, is business as usual or represents the resurrection of all Australia. The truth is this is the most unpopular budget in living memory, delivered by the most unpopular Treasurer in living memory—a man who combines all the worst aspects of past Liberal treasurers: the member for North Sydney is as in touch with common people as Robert Menzies, he is as numerate as Billy Snedden and he demonstrates all the loyalty of Billy McMahon.

The truth is we have heard claims from the Treasurer over the last five weeks that highlight just how out of touch and innumerate he is. We have heard about the poorest people not driving cars or not driving them very far! I would like to see him come up to Newcastle and the Hunter Valley region and talk about poor people not driving cars up there. He is a man who argues that pensioners are going to be better off, despite the evidence in the budget papers demonstrating that is in fact very untrue. He is a man who equates the cost of visiting a doctor with that of buying a middy of beer or smoking cigarettes. He is a man who, when confronted with all this drama, complains that everyone is against him. It is no wonder that those on the other side wish that Joe would return to Fiji or spend more time under the sun bed rather than going around selling this deeply unfair budget that will hurt the people of Charlton time and time again.