Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

The 2014 Abbott budget is the most unfair attack on Australian families in living memory. This budget goes too far and Labor will continue to oppose this budget's unfair measures, because they hurt the future of Australian families. We will fight this budget because of its bad policies, its unfair outcomes and its bleak vision for the future of Australia. The Australian people have learned two things since the budget. One, it has been a dreadful 23 days for this divided government, obsessed with the wrong priorities and addicted to telling lies. Two, more importantly, it has been a worse 23 days for Australian families as we have learned the shocking details of this budget.

The government accuses Labor of trying to frighten Australians. We are merely telling the Australian people the truth. It is the truth in itself that is frightening. This is a government with a very narrow view of society and a narrow view of our obligation to look after one another. Unless key parts of this iniquitous budget are struck down, Australian families in the future will have to work longer and harder just to keep up. This budget does make it harder for families to pay the mortgage, to pay the utilities, to fill up the car, to make ends meet to go to the doctor. It will cost families more to look after older members of the family who will be denied a decent pension and a secure retirement. It will cost families more to support their adult children who cannot find work and receive nothing from the government. It will cost families much more to pay the taxes for the emergency services to help those who have no families to fall back on. And the states will most definitely be blackmailed into increasing the GST and broadening its base.

The stability of Australian families will be jeopardised by the Abbott Liberal government's assault on fairness. This parliament needs to jealously guard fairness in Australia. Fairness is the soil in which grows Australian wealth, Australian success, Australian safety and Australian community. We are indeed a wealthy and stable society because we encourage growth on one hand whilst looking after the less well off on the other. We are amongst the richest nations in the world. Our gross domestic product is an outstanding $1.55 trillion but this budget selfishly demands that the heaviest lifting is done by our poorest citizens. Under this budget, a single parent on $55,000 a year will lose about 10.5 per cent of their disposable income as a result of cuts and increased medical costs. Yet someone on half a million dollars will lose just over two per cent of their disposable income. Liberal priorities: tax the poor and don't worry about doing anything to anyone else. For every dollar that the single parent gives up, the person on half a million dollars chips in 20c. That is right: for every dollar that a single parent will give up, the person on $500,000 will chip in 20c. By 2017-18, the single parent will be losing around $120 per week—11.5 per cent of their family budget. But the millionaire will no longer be paying a single extra cent. They will be back to their pre-budget position.

The Minister for Education is driving up fees and putting university beyond the dreams and hopes of Australian families. This minister's plan to increase the debt of students will hurt Australians for decades. Universities know this. Ross Milbourne, vice-chancellor of UTS said, 'I don't think any vice-chancellor supports the moves to increase the debt. Deakin University vice-chancellor Jane den Hollander called the changes 'punitive and unfair'.

Universities Australia modelling reveals that the debts for engineering and nursing students will take an extra 15 years to pay off. It could take engineers up to 33 years to clear their HECS debt. It has been revealed that women will be the most affected by these changes. The NTEU has reported that the new arrangements have a built-in bias against graduates with carer responsibilities, which will mainly be women. The total repayments in an accounting degree will grow to $120,000 in today's dollars, including $45,000 for interest. That will be the case for graduates who have to take time off to start and raise a family. The degree will now take up to 36 years to pay off, compared with 10 years for a typical graduate today.

This Minister for Education chooses to employ a dangerous, community-dividing dog whistle. He says, 'Why should 60 per cent of Australians who do not go to university support the 40 per cent who do?' Minister, education is a public investment in the future of our country. It is not solely a private benefit.

We know about the damage of the GP tax. It does not deliver a single dollar to recurrent health funding, not a single dollar. It will turn GPs into tax collectors. Brian Owler, the new AMA President, has warned that it will put our front-line doctors under pressure to deliver four-minute medicine. And for what? A rushed medical research fund. We found out this week that the Department of Health has not provided any advice on the structure of a $20 billion fund. AAMRI was not consulted. The chair of the CSIRO board was not consulted. The Chief Scientist was not consulted. The department found out about this thought bubble only weeks before the budget. And there is no guarantee that the fund will not rob money from the National Health and Medical Research Council.

The government say they believe in science. They boast about helping to find a cure for cancer. Do not patronise Australians, do not damage science and do not make the sick of today pay for the research funds for tomorrow. Indeed, Australians already pay for their Medicare. We keep hearing from the so-called Minister for Health that medicine is not free. Australians know that, you arrogant fellow. That is why they pay their Medicare levy already. Australians already pay 12 per cent in terms of co-payment—

Ms O'Dwyer interjecting—

Well, he is an arrogant fellow, Member for Higgins. You could probably do a better job—perhaps. The OECD already shows that we are only second or third behind Switzerland and the United States in what consumers have to pay now. We do not need to go down this path.

Then we have the poor old pensioners. Weren't they misled and lead up the garden path by this dreadful Prime Minister? The cat got out of the bag last night. Senator Fifield, the minister, said of the change in indexation, 'It has been put in place in an effort to slow the rate of pension increase'—a deliberate and calculated cut. The department confirmed the bad news last night to all Australians. Some 530,000 additional pensioners will have their pensions cut. I bet those brave members opposite in this government will not be giving that number out to their constituents in the parliamentary break. Then there is the $65 million cut to war pensions—a disgrace from a party that so loves to wrap itself in the flag of patriotism.

Mr Robert interjecting—

The minister opposite says, 'Spare them.' You should spare the veterans of Australia. The Prime Minister said before the election:

If it’s inadequate to lift Centrelink pensions just by the consumer price index, it’s even less fair to apply only that index to those who have risked their lives for our country.

We know what a Tony Abbott election promise is worth—nothing, zero, zilch, nada. So in conclusion—

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