Daryl Melham (Banks, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The importance of this measure—and let us recognise it—is that the state cannot afford in years to come for measures like this not to pass the House. We have to assist that section of our community who can make provisions for their own retirement so that the remainder who are vulnerable—women who are not in the workforce, Indigenous Australians and others—can be looked after through our pension system.

It beggars belief that those on the other side would not support a MySuper package as a trade-off in fairness and a trade-off in equity. At the same time as the conservatives sit mute, the states are increasing the cost of production for mining companies in those states—because they are Liberal states. The minister at the table, my good friend Mr Crean, is a former ACTU president. He understands this through his working experience before he came into this place and through his experience in this place.

The role of government is about measures like this bill that is before the House today. It is interesting that, historically, the conservatives have opposed this measure every time a Labor government has sought to introduce it. It is interesting that once a measure is passed, they are reluctant to tamper with it. What we are seeing here is an engagement in a political exercise. It is a lot easier for me to support the minerals resource rent tax when the trade-off is the legislation that we have got here today—fair, equable, balanced legislation that is in the national interest.

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