Peta Murphy (Dunkley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Deputy Speaker, and I'm getting there. I'll get there. It's because the Prime Minister wouldn't listen, and here we have legislation that is in exactly that vein. You have financial services representatives, community legal centres and individuals taking the time and effort to make submissions and give evidence to this government through a Senate committee about why this legislation should not go ahead, and it's almost as though the Prime Minister refused to go out and listen to them. It's almost as though the Prime Minister's attitude is 'I'll tell you what you need, and what you need is what I've got to say'. It flows through this entire government, and it starts with where I started. If you are a government that believes that you rule the country—you don't govern the country and you don't lead the country, but you believe that you rule the country—because your privilege has led you to a life that means that you cannot even comprehend the life that other people have to lead, then you don't listen and learn from other people and do what they need.

There is a difference between people who grew up being told they were the conquerors of the world and people who grew up understanding that they were going to need to conquer the world. I'm here to be a voice for people who grew up knowing that they were going to have to work to conquer the world, and so are my Labor colleagues. That's why we won't support this legislation which makes it easier for those institutions that are the conquerors of the world to take advantage of people who are just working day to day to conquer the difficulties that are put before them. Deputy Speaker, I draw your attention to the state of the House.

(Quorum formed)

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