Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

Someone derisively says, ‘What about the summit?’ The call for a 2020 seamless national economy was the clarion clear call by business across the summit. Why is it that after 12 years those opposite made no progress in this space? We convened a group of Australia’s business leaders from right across the nation. Their demand of us was to work on tax and on the question of a seamless national economy. They want that established as a clear-cut national objective for us all. That is why this government has decided to act on this. The big challenges are getting the tax system right in the long term—fundamental tax reform not even broached by those opposite; getting the microeconomic reform agenda right, including through COAG, including through what we do in the overall regulatory reform space; and, thirdly, how we embrace the overarching reform which is necessary in emissions trading to deal with climate change, the great economic challenge of our generation as well as the great environmental challenge of our generation. That is where this government’s energies are concentrated—getting these things right for the future: big challenges like tax, big challenges like economic reform, big challenges like using COAG to reduce the regulatory burden on business and big challenges like developing an emissions trading scheme. This government has embarked upon this course of action because Australia needs long-term planning. COAG, a forum which brings together every government in the country—six states, two territories and the Commonwealth—is the vehicle for advancing so much of this economic reform agenda. We are putting our shoulder to the wheel; those opposite for 12 years were asleep at the wheel. I would encourage those opposite to get behind the COAG reform process necessary for the economy, necessary for business and necessary for national labour market mobility.

Mr Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.

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