Julian Leeser (Berowra, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

This is possibly the most ironic matter of public importance presented to this House in a very long time—the idea of failing to advance a positive agenda. It's ironic because, six years ago, the Leader of the Opposition ran for the leadership of his party and lost to the member for Maribyrnong. He's had six years to think about the positive agenda he might build for the Australian Labor Party, yet all we have got is the same old Labor. In the Leader of the Opposition's words, they won power. He won power but he doesn't know what to do with it. Nothing has changed in relation to the Labor Party since he became leader. In fact, what we have heard is the same old 1970s-style class war speech from this Leader of the Opposition that we used to get from the former Leader of the Opposition. You'd think that, when seven out of 10 Australians put another party at No. 1 on their voting paper above the Labor Party, it would cause them to think again about their forward agenda. But they haven't. They've got no positive agenda. They've just opposed. This is despite the so-called listening tour that the Leader of the Opposition has taken. He's obviously and clearly not listening.

What have they done since we've returned to parliament? They've opposed tax relief. They've opposed the drought fund. They've opposed cleaning up workplaces. Indeed, the member for Cunningham in her contribution demonstrated that there is a level of union militancy denial on the Labor side. They are happy not to have John Setka as part of their club, but they'll turn a blind eye to any standing over and intimidating ordinary working people in workplaces. They took to the election the most negative and economy-destroying policies that we've ever seen—$387 billion in taxes on retirees, small businesses, homeowners, renters, farmers and energy. They had an electric car policy that they couldn't explain, and they had the policy of open borders. Despite the listening tour, we have the same old talking points; it's the same old lines and the same old Labor.

They asked about our positive agenda, and we've got a very big positive agenda, such as the tax reform agenda that we've pursued in the last couple of weeks, where Australians earning up to $126,000 now receive up to $1,080 back in tax relief; small business tax relief, by extending the instant asset write-off to companies with a turnover of up to $50 million and extending that instant asset write-off purchase to $30,000; the plan for job creation, with 1.3 million jobs; the way we are helping our farmers, through the drought relief fund and through the legislation that is currently before this House in relation to outlawing vegan activists who would go onto people's properties and invade them and try and disrupt and destroy one of the great industries in this country. There is our crackdown on the CFMMEU and lawless unions, because we know that ordinary working people going to work should be allowed to go about their business without being stood over, without being intimidated, while just being able to do the job they are paid for.

On home ownership, we have our First Home Loan Deposit Scheme to increase the ability of first home owners to buy a home. In terms of schools, no government in the history of the Commonwealth has put more money into schools. In my own electorate, there is a billion dollars to Berowra schools between now and 2024, whether they are government, independent or Catholic. In health, we're listing medicines on the PBS. There is $308 million for that, to reduce the cost of medicines for ordinary families. Remember: when Labor was in office last time, they stopped listing medicines on the PBS. There will be $31 billion that will go into public hospitals. At Services Australia we are making the interactions that ordinary Australians have with the Commonwealth government easier, and we're using technology to provide easier and better ways for people to engage with the Commonwealth. There is defence, shipbuilding and looking after our veterans, including improving the way in which veterans are dealt with.

These are key things that are part of our positive agenda. When I think about who in my own electorate is benefitting, it is commuters. People are going to benefit from the $412 million investment in NorthConnex, from the $10 million that will go into planning New Line Road, from $7 million that will go into Hornsby quarry and from the work that we are doing to bolster the oyster industry to give people on the Hawkesbury whose industry collapsed 10 years ago the chance for the first time to try a triploid Pacific oyster in the wild. We have a very positive agenda. It's those opposite who still haven't learnt.

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