Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Families and Payments) Share this | Hansard source

What a contribution we had there. It was not a contribution that sought to defend his government. We know he is a bit lacklustre in his support of the Prime Minister, Mr Turnbull. He may be right; quite frankly, it is a different salesman but it is absolutely the same policies. Senator Bernardi talked about how this government is all about helping Australians. What this government did when they first got in was demonise Australians by calling them 'leaners'. They came out with the most appalling first budget of 2014 that saw off Prime Minister Abbott and saw poor old Mr Hockey's career down the drain.

That happened because there was no honesty in the Abbott campaign. There was no honesty in the Abbott campaign that saw them come to government. They did say that they were not going to cut health, education and the ABC. They did say there were on a unity ticket with Gonski. But unfortunately, with the change of Prime Minister, Mr Turnbull has shown a lack of courage in the face of ultraconservative elements in the coalition party room. It really should come as no surprise that his government have also failed to show any courage. They have failed to show courage on the issues that matter to Australians, on the matters that shape the lives of individuals, families and communities across this country.

All these Australians ask is some honesty in this government. They never saw it under Mr Abbott. They expected to see it under Mr Turnbull, but that has not come. That has not come. We hear it each and every day from the ministers of this government: 'Nothing has changed. Our policies are the same. Nothing has changed under this government.' So Australians should be disappointed, and they are disappointed. They are disappointed that this new Prime Minister, Mr Turnbull, has not come in here and tried to put some honesty back into the election commitments that this government gave.

The Turnbull government has shown that it is no better than the Abbott government, adopting the same cuts and out-of-touch policies. In fact, in many cases, unfortunately, the Turnbull government is now going further. Just before Christmas, the Turnbull government ripped a further $2.1 billion out of health by slashing bulk-billing for diagnostic imaging and pathology.