Russell Broadbent (McMillan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

His seat is very similar to mine in that roads are extremely important to the infrastructure of our communities so that our businesses can operate. Why do we want our small businesses to be successful? Why do we want our farmers to be successful? That is in the member for Hunter's portfolio. It is because it creates jobs and opportunities and the sorts of educational opportunities that the member for Blaxland was just talking about.

Actually, so many of us in this House come from the same place. We may come from different sides of the parliament. We may be elected in different ways—either through favour of the union movement or by being supported by our own community or being a rather independent member—perhaps the member for Moore from Western Australia, whose electorate is quite different to that of mine of McMillan. But I tell you what we all want: we want a future for our children, we want comfortable and happy and reasonable families, we want to be able to provide the best education we possibly can, and we want to try, through the states, to give our communities the best teachers that we can possibly afford. The point that the member for Blaxland made about science, and all those things that surround science, means that this nation will be a greater nation.

Today I stood outside on my balcony and past me ran about 12 little kids, who, I would say, were from the childcare centre here in Parliament House. As I saw them run by, I thought, 'What we're actually on about here in this place is: we—even those members who are new members and younger members—in the decisions that we take today, are going to affect those children and their lifetime opportunities.' We have got to think ahead. We have got to stay together on some things. That is why I have pleaded, often, for the Labor Party to consider passing some of the bills that are put before the Senate. You have the opportunity, as a party, to support those things.

I do not know how much time I have—not much. But if I go back, to Paul Keating—it just gets you going sometimes!

Dr Leigh interjecting—

No, it does; it does. I tell you! I think it was in Adelaide. He was walking out—I think it was during the election campaign—and there was a row of people condemning him as he walked out of the room—

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