Tim Wilson (Goldstein, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I start by congratulating the member for North Sydney for his wonderful contribution and motion moved before the chamber today. It is quite embarrassing to follow on from the diatribe that we received from the other side from the member for Oxley, because the objective of this motion is quite clear: to recognise and respect the government that has governed for all Australians. It is to break the tradition of the Labor Party in the past, where they governed for their union mates—the select few friends that they have—and where they pieced together different constituencies to develop some sort of a majority.

Liberals always have and always will govern for the whole nation. We look at the opportunities of what we can do to advance the interests of the whole country and move it forward together. That is why we should be proud of the fact that together, when we used to have a Labor Party that was constructive, worked with the Australian people and sought proper economic reform, we were able to achieve 25 consecutive years of economic growth. We congratulate the previous governments who contributed to that. But we know full well that the Labor Party today would take the exact opposite position and the exact opposite approach if they were given the keys to the treasury vault. That is why this government is working successfully to make sure that we can build Australia's future and the opportunities of the 21st century. It is not just that we believe in economic growth as an end in itself, but because it enables us to deliver the social dividend to be able to help the less fortunate and build people up, rather than do what Labor wants to do, which is to constantly take resources from some to the advantage of the select few who give them patronage or relationships.

Another very important thing is the achievement of this government around border security. Having worked in this space and worked with the people who have suffered the human consequences of the tragedy of Labor's policies, I say this is one of the proudest objectives and achievements of this government. I have been into detention centres and seen the human consequences of what happens when children are held in long-term detention. They ought to be ashamed of themselves for their legacy. One of the proudest achievements of this government is that we have got children out of detention on the Australia mainland. You have not seen the consequences of the legacy of your failure. You do not understand how much harm you do to children. That is why we are proud to have closed detention centres across this country, we are proud to have got children out of detention, and we are proud now to have looked at very serious avenues to close down Manus Island and Narau, not just so that we can, obviously, save Australian taxpayers' dollars but so that we can give people pathways in life, so that they can get on with their opportunities and be able to move on with their lives. That is a very proud legacy of this government, and we have to particularly congratulate the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection for his achievements in that space.

Now we are looking at the future. Now we are looking at how we can make economic opportunity for every Australian by changing laws, particularly around the establishment of the ABCC, to reduce the cost of construction on Australian worksites so that we can actually get costs down, increase the affordability of housing and create an environment where we can get better bang for the taxpayer's buck. That should be the focus, and not just at a national level; it also delivers huge benefits to the states. That would be an incredibly important legacy should it be achieved, and I am very hopeful and optimistic that it will. It will be for the benefit of the Australian people but at the cost of the select few who Labor take their directions from. That is why they oppose it. It is not for some sort of great benefit for the Australian people; it is because it undermines their position as the Labor Party, where they are interested in doling out favours and opportunities for their Labor mates.

Finally I want to pick up on a very important point. The success of this government is that it has shown leadership—leadership that is so often absent when the other side are on the government benches. The leadership of Malcolm Turnbull, the Prime Minister, and the Deputy Prime Minister, Barnaby Joyce—by projecting a vision of how we can create a country where everybody moves forward together that is built on an economically and socially forward-looking agenda while also preserving the institutions and culture that make our party great and looking to a sense of responsibility for every individual—is why this government is achieving what it is achieving today, why it will achieve things in the future and why it will continue to govern for every Australian. And you know the best bit? The best bit is that there is so much more to come. (Time expired)

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