Brendan O'Connor (Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

You have been in the place for a short time, and I give you that, but, really, you have had 10 minutes on this. You have denied your own Tasmanian colleagues, by not allowing it for next Monday, and you are actually now denying me the call because of your own inability to understand the standing orders.

The fact is that the Tasmanian economy does have some challenges; there is no doubt about that. But it does not help when you talk down your own state's economy. What is really needed here is constructive proposals about how we can provide support for Tasmanians.

I note that the motion that was authored by the member for Bass goes to a number of issues that I think are significant and genuine challenges for the Tasmanian people, one of which is the lowest proportion of adults in the nation who have obtained a year 12 qualification. That is a very serious matter that needs to be addressed. That seems to fly in the face of the recent comments by the Minister for Education and the Prime Minister to deny support to the Tasmanian education system to ensure we see an increase in the accreditation of year 12 students in Tasmania. The fact is there was the Gonski plan in place and a so-called 'unity ticket', as explained by the Prime Minister and the Minister for Education prior to the last election, and they have reneged on that promise. They have completely and utterly contradicted what they said before the election. The facts are these. We have a Prime Minister who has lied to the Australian people. He has lied to the Australian people on education. I quote Phil Coorey today in the Australian Financial Review: 'Like a slippery lawyer—

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