Peter Lindsay (Herbert, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

This morning I would like to bring to the parliament’s attention what is, effectively, a reality check. That is, after only 12 months of a Labor government, under Mr Rudd and Mr Swan, Australia is less prosperous, which cannot be disputed; our economy is rapidly getting weaker, which cannot be disputed; and the outlook for Australian families and businesses is more uncertain than ever, which also cannot be disputed. When crucial decisions are needed, Rudd and Labor are panicked into taking poorly thought out responses and the Nation-building Funds Bill 2008 and cognate bills is one of them, and I will explain that during my contribution to the parliament this morning.

The government’s handling of the financial crisis worries all of us. They have actually made things worse. It must be difficult for my Labor colleagues to know and understand that things have in fact been made worse by decisions taken which have been poorly thought out. In Australia, household wealth has declined, prices continue to rise and job security is very significant on my radar. There has been a massive fall in job security. There has been a political strategy for Australia but no economic strategy.

I read Paul Kelly’s article in the Weekend Australian. Doubtless, many of my colleagues would have read the same article. Paul made the very interesting comment that, at a time when Australia is facing really tough times, the Labor Party is hell-bent on introducing legislation, currently being debated in the House of Representatives, which will see a further reduction in the security of people’s jobs. I think that is a very sobering comment from a senior journalist in the Australian press gallery.

The bill that we are discussing this morning is, by and large, funded almost entirely—

See this speech in context