Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Tax Laws Amendment (Tax Incentives for Innovation) Bill 2016 on behalf of the opposition. Before I go into the details of the bill, let me just make some passing comment on Senator Canavan leading with his chin in his summing up of the last bill. If those opposite want to talk about the economy, let's talk about debt increasing under the coalition; let's talk about the tax-to-GDP ratio increasing under the coalition; let's talk about full-time jobs disappearing under the coalition; let's talk about the rabble that this government was over the last 3½ years, when they attacked pensioners, attacked working people and had no idea about how an economy could be run in a fair and reasonable manner.

Yes, Senator Canavan, we are happy to talk about the economy, but when we talk about the economy we talk about fairness and a fair go for Australians in this economy—unlike what was in that horrible, terrible 2014-15 budget that you guys presided over after the last election. We are happy to talk about the economy, but when we talk about the economy we talk about fairness. We do not chase companies like GM and Toyota out of the country. We do not do that, because we know that they can be a driving force for small businesses and small start-ups in this country. We know that they are high tech. We know that they are innovative. Unfortunately, the coalition did not have a clue.

The coalition now seems to be led by the nose by the National Party, the biggest rorters that this country has ever seen—the National Party out there rorting, led by former Senator Joyce, now the Deputy Prime Minister. We do not need a comedian for a Deputy Prime Minister; we need a serious person for Deputy Prime Minister. That is certainly not what we have got under this coalition government. We do not have a serious Prime Minister. We do not have a Prime Minister who can advocate a policy from morning until night and hold a policy from morning to night.

So, yes, Senator Canavan, we are happy to talk about the economy. We are happy to talk about the former Treasurer, the guy who spoke about 'lifters and leaners', who is 'leaning' over in New York and Washington. We are happy to talk about that. If you are a pensioner you are a leaner, but not if you are taking your golden handshake from the coalition. We are happy to talk about the coalition finance team, sitting there cracking out the Havanas.

Chair, I know what you are trying to do here.