Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party) | Hansard source

With apologies to Zach Galifianakis, playing Marty Huggins on The Campaign: I am an Australian, and I believe in Australian ingenuity and hard work—unlike my friends opposite, who believe that everyone should live in rainbow land. I'm referring to a doctrine written by the opposition leader called The Neoclassical Theory of the Competitive Market System. It's handwritten—in 1981. He tried to table it in question time yesterday. I think anybody that writes about the redistribution of wealth sounds like someone we don't need to elect. Am I right? Of course I am.

This matter of public importance debate is not Hollywood, nor is it political satire, but with the carry-on of the Labor-Greens voices for rainbow land alliance you'd be forgiven for thinking that we are in some sort of American comedy. But we are not. We do not live in rainbow land. Things aren't always for free, and certainly anything that the opposition leader comes up with that he handed in as a high school assignment really belongs to political satire.

We've heard in question time again today, with the Prime Minister and the Treasurer reminding the House and reminding the people of Australia, that those opposite stood for $387 billion of higher taxes should they have been elected at the last election—a retirees' tax and a housing tax. Indeed, they wanted to reach into the wallets and the purses of everyday, ordinary Australians—all Australians—and take their hard-earned money. Well, we on this side of the House stand for Australians keeping more of what they earn. That is our doctrine. That is our philosophy. It is not rainbow land.

The jobless rate is 4.2 per cent. It was 4.2 per cent in the Howard years. It went up to 5.7 per cent under those Rudd-Gillard-Rudd years, and of course now it's back down to 4.2 per cent. Why is that so? That is because we know that by backing small businesses and businesses they will invest in Australians. They will invest in apprentices. We heard the minister in response to the opposition leader talk about a record number of 220,000 trade apprentices who've been given a start, given an opportunity, given perhaps their first crack at a job, under the policies of the Liberals and the Nationals. It's not rainbow land. It's not some sort of high school assignment to put in.

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