Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

What interesting contributions we have heard from those opposite. They come in here and say that they are the workers' best friend and that they want to look after the workers. But we should have a look at their actions and not their fluffed-up words—and their actions are quite clear.

One of the first things they did was remove the low income superannuation contribution—the $500 that the government put towards the superannuation of people who were earning less than $37,000 a year. These are people on low wages, part-time workers and women who are in and out of the workforce. They shamelessly sit there and take that money away from them and say that they are looking after the workers.

Let's look at the next thing they did. They decided to freeze the superannuation contributions. Instead of raising them, so that people have money to live on in their retirement, they froze them. What is the third thing they did? In true Tory, conservative, right-wing, nut-job fashion they went out and removed the penalties for businesses—their big business mates; the people who line their pockets—who do not pay the superannuation contribution.

This is the key to what happens opposite. They come in here and absolutely disingenuously say, 'We are here to look after workers', but they do not. The first thing they do is attack the people who are on fixed and low incomes. They do not particularly care about workers in any way, shape or form. But they will stand there for the handful of people like their Gina Rineharts, who have lots and lots of money, and do their bidding. We have seen that on many occasions.

Let's look at superannuation for what it is. It is something that Labor put in place because Labor wanted to support people with their retirement incomes. This government attacks superannuation and says that it is not on. Then their hand-picked Small Business Commissioner Kate Carnell—a former Liberal MP—says you should make people sell their houses to fund their pensions. This is the thought that has come out of the mess that is called the T-A-T-A—the Turnbull-Abbott-Turnbull-Abbott—government.

We do not know who is going to be there at the next election; they do not know. But what we do know is that, whatever happens, they will, first and foremost, be out there attacking people who can least afford to be attacked. That is why they looked at bringing in the 15 per cent GST and putting it on fresh food and other services. They do not particularly care. None of those opposite particularly care about the people at the bottom end. They are more worried about lining their own pockets and making sure that they are comfortable.

Let's talk about the superannuation boards that were so ineloquently spoken about by the previous speaker. The ones they want to attack are the industry boards. The industry boards are made up of workers and employers, who work together. And guess what? They outperform every single one of the boards that those opposite put their Liberal mates onto. That is why they want to attack them. They want to attack them because they are building wealth for people. They are building the opportunity for people to have a comfortable retirement.

I know there are a couple of members—only a couple—over there who are probably uncomfortable with the way the government works. But most of them are there because they think that that is the right way to go. You should not be going out and attacking people who cannot afford a big retirement income. Many people who have worked in casual employment or have been in and out of the workforce do not have a large superannuation income to retire on. That is why we have put in the low income superannuation contribution to help people and to give them the opportunity to live well once they get past their retirement age.

As we are talking about retirement age, let us have a look at another thing they did: they lifted it up straightaway, to the age of 70. They are going to make you work longer, they are going to give you less and they want to take more. That is the history of this government over the last 2½ years. It has been nothing but a tangled mass of lies, deception, backstabbing and all of that.

When it comes to superannuation, look at the people who put it in place. Look at the people who actually went out there and said, 'This is what we need to do for this country's future.' That is what built the wealth. The wealth that they talk about in superannuation was built by Labor governments. It started off under Keating and it continued under us. When we were in government, we actually lifted the rates to make sure that people got more superannuation to help them out in their later years of life. As soon as this lot came in, they cut it. It is the story of this government—cuts for the people who cannot afford it, while, at the same time, making sure that they look after themselves and their big business mates.

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