Julie Owens (Parramatta, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I remember during the election campaign Tony Abbott saying that his government would start running on day one. On day one they would hit the ground running. And I saw day one come and go. Some 13 days later, after one of the swearing in ceremonies, the Prime Minister finally said, 'Today is day one'—on day 13. I thought, 'Well, they said they would slow things down, but I didn't expect them to govern in dog years.'

But even I did not expect that some 521 days into their term they would finally declare that they were going to be a good government—on day 521!—and families would be at the front and centre of their agenda for 2015. As if families have not already been at the front and centre of this government's attacks. As if they have not already been in the sights of this fighting Prime Minister.

We have seen a budget that will leave a single-income family on $65,000 with two children $6,000 a year worse off. As if that is not being in the sights of this government. As if families have not been in their sights since day 13, which was day one. That is nearly 10 per cent of a family income. We have seen $1 billion ripped from child care. As if that is not being in the sights of this government. We have seen $5.5 billion ripped from family budgets, and now families are going to be in their sights! I would say to families: be afraid. Be very afraid.