Louise Miller-Frost (Boothby, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

In the words of a well-known meerkat, 'Compare the market.' On the one hand, we have a government cutting HECS debts, rolling out fee-free TAFE, fully funding public schools for the first time ever, making housing more affordable for first home buyers and cutting the cost of medicines. On the opposition side, to paraphrase the opposition leader, they believe people don't value anything they haven't paid for.

On the one hand, we have a government paying super on paid parental leave, supporting families and addressing an issue that sees older women retiring into poverty. On the other hand, we have a shadow industrial relations minister who washes his hands of the equity issue, saying it isn't his choice that women have children.

On the one hand, we have a government that has ticked off over 100 large-scale renewable projects and now more than 80,000 cheaper home batteries for Australian households in just over three months. On the other hand, we have an opposition that, depending on the day, doesn't believe in climate change, does believe in climate change but not in meaningful action, believes in net zero but that we should be going slower, is waiting for the science, believes in non-existent small nuclear reactors or even mobile microreactors, or thinks dumping net zero is the electoral winner it should be adopting.

Back to the meerkat, it's 'simples'. This government is working hard for the Australian people, the economy and the country. I'm not sure what those opposite are doing.

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