Matt Gregg (Deakin, Australian Labor Party) | Hansard source

Where do I begin? We start with the member for Goldstein making up quotes to be outraged by, reciting tired old campaign lines from a party fast approaching the abyss. Then we had the member for Barker highlighting what the Liberal Party has become: a live-action version of the Facebook comments section—watch an hour of Credlin, then to the computer with caps lock key down, ready to let the rage out. Finally, we have an attack on a former Liberal treasurer, a personal attack with nothing to do with the MPI, highlighting that the coalition has truly become the blockbuster video of Australian politics.

Now, let's talk about the challenges faced by the Australian people: a quadrupling of house prices over two decades, unresolved by the Liberal Party in government; and we had 4.1 gigawatts out of baseload energy, unresponded to by the coalition government. We've seen long-term challenges unaddressed—aged care, where neglect over a decade was unresolved, because, apparently, an ageing population was completely unpredictable. Then, we had failures in child care and pretty much every area of service. We had sovereign energy capability decline. We saw oil processing down, which left us, after a year of coalition, more vulnerable.

They don't lead. They preside. The born-to-rule brigade sat there for nine years and achieved absolutely nothing on behalf of the Australian people—compulsive underachievement for nine years consecutively. Then, suddenly, they come into this chamber as if all challenges faced by society came out of nowhere and are all Labor's fault. It's complete nonsense.

We are responding to the issue of energy shortages by developing a 21st-century grid, because we know that energy is the key to future productivity and success. Productivity has been a focus of this budget. We are focusing tax incentives towards productive investments rather than continued house price inflation. We're supporting small businesses and startups. We've got the permanence of the $20,000 instant asset write-off. We've got loss carry back, and we have tax refunds for new-start businesses so they have the capital to get started and succeed. This is a government focused on the future and focused on actually resolving the challenges faced by the Australian people rather than whinging about them and going on template tirades which solve absolutely nothing.

The coalition then have the gall to say, 'Oh, look, the coalition's less popular. Why?' Apparently, it's Labor's fault that people don't like the coalition much anymore! There's a complete lack of insight. We see why, from the member for Barker—their world is Facebook. As I say to my loved ones, it's bad for your mental health, and it will completely diminish your sense of reality, if that is where you get your wisdom from. I would suggest something novel. How about talking about solutions, talking to real people and learning to listen to the Australian people and their demand for change?

Change is what the Labor government is delivering. We are making difficult decisions that actually address the challenges faced by Australians. We don't just sit here proud of the status quo; we come here to make a difference. It's very easy to come in and make statements. What is difficult is change. We are ready to do the hard work, and we've got a caucus committed to making a difference to the people in our electorates and the people in their electorates as well. We know that this isn't just about presiding; it is about taking on responsibility and making the differences needed so that tomorrow can be better than yesterday.

We're not going to spend a decade doing nothing. We are not going to allow the challenges faced by Australia to double and continue compounding over time. We are going to confront them on behalf of the Australian people, to make sure that they can be optimistic that the future is going to be better. We make absolutely no apologies for that.

Today, 1 July—despite me sounding a little angry—is actually a very good day. It's a very good day! Every taxpayer is getting a tax cut. We've got the $250 worker tax offset. We've now got a simpler tax system; there is the $1,000 instant tax deduction. We've now got award wages increasing. We've got the minimum wage increasing from today. Today is an excellent day! Urgent care clinics are becoming permanent. This is a fantastic day for Australia, and we should celebrate it.

We're injecting more money into public hospitals—$25 billion—because health care matters and this is a party dedicated to health. We are going to make sure that those services continue to improve and meet the needs of the Australian people, and we make no apologies for that. There will be no tirades. There will be no attacks against members of our party or their party or anything like that. This isn't going to be just an abuse of parliamentary privilege. We are going to talk about the Australian people and what we are going to do to make their lives better.

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