House debates

Monday, 21 November 2016

Private Members' Business

Turnbull Government

11:22 am

Photo of Trent ZimmermanTrent Zimmerman (North Sydney, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges that the Government won the election and has been getting on with the job of governing; and

(2) congratulates the Government for the following achievements:

(a) securing Australia's 25 consecutive years of economic growth;

(b) protecting our borders and making our nation more secure with over 800 days having passed without a successful people smuggling venture;

(c) delivering:

  (i) a personal tax cut to 500,000 middle income Australians;

  (ii) a fairer and more flexible superannuation system; and

  (iii) $11 billion of budget repair;

(d) establishing a process which makes bank Chief Executive Officers answerable to the public through appearances before Parliament;

(e) legislating to protect volunteer firefighters from union takeovers;

(f) reintroducing bills to restore the rule of law on the nation's construction sites;

(g) securing the naval shipbuilding industry and jobs for the future;

(h) strengthening trade and defence ties with Singapore, creating thousands of new jobs;

(i) strengthening the United States alliance in defence, counter-terrorism and cyber security;

(j) reintroducing legislation to crack down on illegal firearms trafficking;

(k) increasing protection for women and children against domestic violence;

(l) growing our industries with record commodity prices and a $2.5 billion water infrastructure rollout to support farmers and the resource sector;

(m) fixing the problems in Vocational Education and Training and cracking down on dodgy providers;

(n) increasing digital literacy and improved school resourcing;

(o) supporting more Indigenous Australians through skills, jobs and language;

(p) signing new City Deals to improve housing and expand public transport;

(q) accelerating the broadband build and connecting rural Australia;

(r) securing an agreement with the states and territories on energy security and reforms for affordable, reliable power;

(s) protecting Medicare, improving primary health care, making over 2,000 medicines cheaper and simplifying private health care;

(t) saving lives through a National Cancer Screening Register;

(u) supporting the South Australian steel sector and jobs by providing a $49.2 million loan to Arrium;

(v) addressing long term welfare dependence;

(w) delivering better:

  (i) tax arrangements for working holiday makers and backpackers; and

  (ii) child care for 1 million Australians and lifting immunisation rates;

(x) showing a commitment to new resettlement programs for genuine refugees as a result of strong border policies; and

(y) boosting Australia's place in the workforce with access to new markets and stronger ties including with East Asia, Europe, and the United Kingdom.

I am proud to move this motion and to be part of a government driven by the goal of creating more opportunities for all Australians. This motion lists just some of the achievements of the Turnbull government in the first 100 days since the election in July. What it records is this government's determination to provide all Australians with greater prosperity and more jobs, a fairer society, and a government that responsibly manages its finances. It is a list of achievements founded in the very Liberal principle of the importance of allowing individuals to get ahead and fulfil their own aspirations.

Ultimately, our success as an economy will always be founded on the jobs created by individuals and business, not Labor's approach of relying solely on government. It is why we have been working hard to provide the economic climate for businesses to grow, invest and create jobs for all Australians. While Labor continues to put partisan politics ahead of good policy, the Turnbull government is getting on with the job of delivering for our nation's future. This year Australia recorded 25 years of unbroken economic growth. Our economy is growing by three per cent, faster than any of the G7 economies, and last year 300,000 new jobs were created, the strongest growth in employment since 2007. It is why our economy is truly the envy of the world.

These results have not happened by accident. They have required strong economic management and an understanding that we need to open doors to new markets, ensure our economy is competitive and create new opportunities such as those that will flow from our investment in science and innovation. It is why we have moved so quickly to deliver tax relief for middle Australians, tax cuts for hardworking small businesses, and a fairer, more flexible superannuation system. We have supported the growth of our exports by working to secure freer trade with our neighbours. In a world where the barriers of protectionism are tempting some nations with false promise, we have continued to be a strong advocate for free trade. We understand that economies like our own, which have always relied on our great export industries, have the most to gain.

We have been getting on with the job of ensuring the federal government is living within its means rather than burdening future generations with debt. In just the first 100 days, we have enacted $11 billion of budget repair bills.

We have also recognised that the productivity of our economy depends on ensuring that businesses can operate without the threat of workplace lawlessness. We know from the indisputable evidence documented in two royal commissions that too many of our building and construction sites are beset by thuggery and intimidation. There is no area where the government has a clearer mandate to act, yet those opposite would prefer to put the interests of their union overlords ahead of the rule of law and the productivity of our economy.

It is the same approach from Labor that saw them place the unreasonable demands of the union movement ahead of volunteer firefighters in Victoria. In contrast, we have sent a clear message that this government sees volunteer firefighters as decent, hardworking people who embody the very volunteer spirit of Australia. They should not be a membership recruitment drive for the firefighters union. They are mums and dads, and they are community heroes who risk their lives for others. So, in our first 100 days, we have enacted legislation to protect the volunteers of the CFA, and we are proud of that fact.

Sadly, much of our work is not just looking to the future but fixing the problems left by the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd governments. We have fixed the problems in vocational education and cracked down on dodgy providers. We have created a national broadband network that is financially sustainable and now actually reaching consumers.

We have got on with the job of restoring faith in the security of our borders. No area more dramatically highlights the failings of Labor than their approach to border security—50,000 arrivals through people-smuggling operations, thousands of children in detention and, tragically, 1,200 lives lost at sea. I am proud to be part of a government that has broken the people smugglers' business model, closed 17 detention centres and ensured that no children are held in detention in Australia. And we have now created a pathway for refugees on Nauru and in Kevin Rudd's detention centre on Manus Island.

The Prime Minister promised this would be a government and parliament of delivery for the Australian people. This motion highlights our determination to do just that, from strengthening our economy to supporting families and those in the education system, from improving health care to tackling the scourge of domestic violence. We regard the trust of the Australian people as a deep responsibility, and everything this government does is about returning that trust so we create a fairer, stronger and more prosperous Australia.

Photo of Scott BuchholzScott Buchholz (Wright, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

Is there a seconder for the motion?

Photo of Tim WilsonTim Wilson (Goldstein, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

Yes.

Photo of Scott BuchholzScott Buchholz (Wright, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

You are putting your hand up. It is difficult for that to be recorded by Hansard. I assume that you are reserving your right to speak?

Photo of Tim WilsonTim Wilson (Goldstein, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I am.

11:27 am

Photo of Milton DickMilton Dick (Oxley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I rise to speak to probably one of the weirdest motions that have ever been introduced into this parliament. This government needs a motion to acknowledge that it won the election. That is the first sentence. It actually needs to be told—

Mr Pasin interjecting

Through you, Mr Deputy Speaker, if I were the member for Barker, I would not be saying too much about records, considering that he was one of the members of this place to receive the largest swings against them—a 12 per cent swing against the member for Barker. I would have a look at your own house if you think—through you, Mr Deputy Speaker—that getting a 12 per cent swing is a great result and that you should be congratulated. I would take a look in the mirror.

We know that the government today need a motion to tell them that they won the election. This motion goes on and on and on about wanting congratulations, not listing the things that they will do. I will give a point to the member for North Sydney: 100 days was a month ago. If you are going to introduce a motion, perhaps be on time, rather than being desperate to want some acknowledgement, because no-one else is saying you are doing a good job.

The second point congratulates the government for securing Australia's 25 consecutive years of economic growth. Well, I can tell you that this government is not responsible for 25 years of economic growth. It cannot actually get it right. Let us talk about a couple points in this. Shall we talk about the NBN? I would like to also talk about—and I like this clacker; this is my favourite—delivering better tax arrangements for working holiday makers and backpackers. Where are we with that? How is that going for you? Are we debating that? Are we dealing with that this week? No, we are not. I will come to superannuation. Today we have just seen a major report showing that there will be a $24 billion blowout over the deficit over the next four years ahead. Well done to this government! Well done! They want to be congratulated for not cutting the deficit but increasing the deficit. That is right. This government is making it worse. It goes on and on. What a motion to congratulate them on Medicare!

I note that this government likes to talk tough when it comes to Medicare, but the facts speak for themselves. We have seen a 0.7 per cent drop in bulk-billing rates in my home state of Queensland in the September 2016 quarter—a drop of 47,000 services that are bulk-billed in Queensland. We know that those opposite are not interested in universal health care. We know those on the North Shore of Sydney are not interested in access to quality health care. We know those in the leafy affluent suburbs of Sydney do not necessarily focus on quality health care. Well, I can tell you that in my community in the electorate of Oxley, the birthplace of Medicare under the great reformer Bill Hayden, we do care about Medicare. I know that the people of Oxley and the people of Queensland depend on quality access to health care.

This motion today also talks about the NBN. We only need to look at what happened last week: a 147 per cent increase in complaints around NBN. It was going to cost less and deliver more on time. And what has happened? We have seen a blowout in regional Australia. Regional Australia, time and time again, has been left behind by this government.

This government wants to be congratulated for passing the backpacker tax. Where are we up to with that? Absolutely nowhere, just like the mess that they created with superannuation and just like the mess they created with paid parental leave version 68—which is coming down the line from this government—because they are hopelessly divided. They cannot stick to the commitments they made at the last election, and yet they have the gall and the hide to come into this place and want to be congratulated for the litany of messes that they have created in the first 100 days. I point out again that this government talks tough but delivers little for the people of Australia.

11:32 am

Photo of Tim WilsonTim Wilson (Goldstein, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I start by congratulating the member for North Sydney for his wonderful contribution and motion moved before the chamber today. It is quite embarrassing to follow on from the diatribe that we received from the other side from the member for Oxley, because the objective of this motion is quite clear: to recognise and respect the government that has governed for all Australians. It is to break the tradition of the Labor Party in the past, where they governed for their union mates—the select few friends that they have—and where they pieced together different constituencies to develop some sort of a majority.

Liberals always have and always will govern for the whole nation. We look at the opportunities of what we can do to advance the interests of the whole country and move it forward together. That is why we should be proud of the fact that together, when we used to have a Labor Party that was constructive, worked with the Australian people and sought proper economic reform, we were able to achieve 25 consecutive years of economic growth. We congratulate the previous governments who contributed to that. But we know full well that the Labor Party today would take the exact opposite position and the exact opposite approach if they were given the keys to the treasury vault. That is why this government is working successfully to make sure that we can build Australia's future and the opportunities of the 21st century. It is not just that we believe in economic growth as an end in itself, but because it enables us to deliver the social dividend to be able to help the less fortunate and build people up, rather than do what Labor wants to do, which is to constantly take resources from some to the advantage of the select few who give them patronage or relationships.

Another very important thing is the achievement of this government around border security. Having worked in this space and worked with the people who have suffered the human consequences of the tragedy of Labor's policies, I say this is one of the proudest objectives and achievements of this government. I have been into detention centres and seen the human consequences of what happens when children are held in long-term detention. They ought to be ashamed of themselves for their legacy. One of the proudest achievements of this government is that we have got children out of detention on the Australia mainland. You have not seen the consequences of the legacy of your failure. You do not understand how much harm you do to children. That is why we are proud to have closed detention centres across this country, we are proud to have got children out of detention, and we are proud now to have looked at very serious avenues to close down Manus Island and Narau, not just so that we can, obviously, save Australian taxpayers' dollars but so that we can give people pathways in life, so that they can get on with their opportunities and be able to move on with their lives. That is a very proud legacy of this government, and we have to particularly congratulate the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection for his achievements in that space.

Now we are looking at the future. Now we are looking at how we can make economic opportunity for every Australian by changing laws, particularly around the establishment of the ABCC, to reduce the cost of construction on Australian worksites so that we can actually get costs down, increase the affordability of housing and create an environment where we can get better bang for the taxpayer's buck. That should be the focus, and not just at a national level; it also delivers huge benefits to the states. That would be an incredibly important legacy should it be achieved, and I am very hopeful and optimistic that it will. It will be for the benefit of the Australian people but at the cost of the select few who Labor take their directions from. That is why they oppose it. It is not for some sort of great benefit for the Australian people; it is because it undermines their position as the Labor Party, where they are interested in doling out favours and opportunities for their Labor mates.

Finally I want to pick up on a very important point. The success of this government is that it has shown leadership—leadership that is so often absent when the other side are on the government benches. The leadership of Malcolm Turnbull, the Prime Minister, and the Deputy Prime Minister, Barnaby Joyce—by projecting a vision of how we can create a country where everybody moves forward together that is built on an economically and socially forward-looking agenda while also preserving the institutions and culture that make our party great and looking to a sense of responsibility for every individual—is why this government is achieving what it is achieving today, why it will achieve things in the future and why it will continue to govern for every Australian. And you know the best bit? The best bit is that there is so much more to come. (Time expired)

11:37 am

Photo of Justine KeayJustine Keay (Braddon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

The previous speaker, the member for Goldstein, talked about leadership. Well, this government had 17 backflips in the first seven months of Prime Minister Turnbull's leadership. I do not think that is leadership at all. In contrast to the member for North Sydney, I will not be congratulating the government on what I see as an epic fail for the people of Braddon, Tasmania and, indeed, Australia. You just have to look at the Liberals' Tasmanian backbench to see where they got it all wrong.

While the member for North Sydney will boast about what he calls 'achievements', I beg to differ on many points. When the members on the right side of the chamber refer to the government's so-called protection of Medicare, I can only shake my head. Since the start of this month, GPs have been raising their fees in response to the government's continued rebate freeze, hurting rural regional and rural Australian electorates like my own in Braddon. As a result, GPs are under more pressure to stop bulk-billing and pass costs on to patients, which is making it incredibly difficult for those already struggling to be able to afford to see a doctor. Preventative health is also suffering. While a focus on chronic health is welcome, shouldn't the government also consider that preventative health is economically prudent and that keeping people from getting chronically ill in the first place actually saves money?

When it comes to education, the member for North Sydney simply spruiks changes to vocational education and training, which in fact have only been made better thanks to Labor's amendments in the Senate. What about Gonski? The coalition continues to deny schools $3.9 billion in Gonski funding in 2018-19 alone. Meanwhile, many schools continue to struggle to deliver effective education, despite their best efforts. It is no wonder that the member did not list this as an achievement. Leading up to the election and again in his speech, the member for North Sydney continues to talk about welfare dependency while ignoring the fact that 5,200 jobs have been lost since the election. Cuts to pensions and additional barriers for people trying to access all sorts of assistance are certainly not the way to offer help.

And more on jobs: another epic fail from the coalition has been this constant bungling of the backpacker tax, which the member describes as simply 'better'. Now that is just some mighty spin there. The reality is that both the agriculture and the tourism industries have been left in limbo for many months, while the coalition has refused to consult with them about their tax. Starting at 32½ per cent and then trying to put through 19 per cent, what the coalition did not say was that this was going to make Australia uncompetitive and result in a declining number of backpackers coming to Tasmania. Treasury modelling actually says that. While fruit has been left rotting on the ground, the member and his Tasmanian Senate colleagues have simply ignored the interests of the various stakeholders and barged their way through; yet, with four Senate sitting days, that backpacker tax is still not being debated.

Government Member:

A government member interjecting

Photo of Justine KeayJustine Keay (Braddon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

We have got on board. You just won't debate it. Unfortunately, this approach is something we have all become used to. Surely the coalition realises by now that the loss of the so-called three amigos to Labor at the election was a reflection of how this government has failed to listen to the voters of Tasmania. There were plenty of examples, too. There was hardly anything for the Cradle Mountain infrastructure upgrade—which would grow the economy and grow jobs in northern Tasmania—except for a measly million dollars, despite support from the tourism industry and the region's nine mayors. There continues to be no sound plan for the NBN on the west coast of Tasmania, even with the NBN Co admitting that the government's plans might not even work. And the issue of mobile phone access in rural and regional Australia has left many communities wondering what century they are in, thanks to over-promising and under-delivering by this government. Then there was nothing of value for money for important infrastructure projects in my community such as the Wynyard waterfront, which, again, would support the local economy and jobs. So, yes, feel free to espouse the many so-called positives of the government's term so far, but the reality is that regional and rural areas like mine in Braddon in north-west Tasmania will continue to suffer while the coalition focuses on giving handouts to the big end of town.

11:42 am

Photo of Trevor EvansTrevor Evans (Brisbane, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I rise to support this motion and to note the government's achievements and progress in the months since the election. As a new MP, I have been proud to see so much of the government's agenda and so many of its election commitments being passed through this House so quickly and to see so much being passed through the Senate. These achievements have obviously been underpinned by meaningful conversations and genuinely constructive negotiations with other parties, particularly in the Senate. I believe that is what Australians want to see from their government—cooperation, collaboration and negotiation in Australia's best interests. Despite some of the partisan rhetoric coming from those opposite on this motion and at other times when the TV cameras are on, they know, as I have come to realise, that the vast bulk of work done in this place is achieved with bipartisan support and genuine negotiations made in good faith and in the best interests of Australia.

I note that in popular commentary there presently exists a theme of general dissatisfaction with politics and governance, not just here in Australia but around the world. In some other countries, the rise of populist policies has been linked to an apparent ruling class in capital cities that seems to be blind to or even actively encouraging the stagnation or decline of the living standards of their citizens. There is little doubt that in some parts of the world many people have been left out or have felt left out of the benefits flowing from new technologies, increased trade and transitioning economies. Here in Australia our living standards and economic growth have continued to grow, even through some tough times, with markedly better outcomes than in many comparable countries. That Australia has just achieved a milestone of 25 years of uninterrupted economic growth speaks volumes for the good work done in this place in a bipartisan fashion, including by this government and by many of our predecessors going back decades. Yet some dissatisfaction with government, and not just at the national level, is still evident and palpable in many places. I do believe that this can be explained by lingering doubts and fears resulting from the pace of change and the transition, as in some of those other economies.

Yet I also believe, very strongly, that much of the pain felt in Australia over recent years can be attributed to our style and the results of our model of governance. The past 10 years saw an unprecedented level of instability emanating from Canberra—a high level of turnover of governments and a high turnover of personalities, a churn of policies affecting many key industries, and the loss of significant experience and corporate knowledge in our model of governance. That instability has undermined confidence and increased risk, and as a result it has choked investment and spending by households and businesses alike.

This is the best-placed government that Australia has had in many years to deliver the sort of continuity and stability that has eluded us for too long. Merely in being re-elected, this government is the first in 12 years to be re-elected and returned to office in its own right. This government has started to deliver what we critically need: a more predictable and certain future everyone can bank on and invest in. I suspect it will take some time for decision makers, the media and commentators—indeed the broader community—to move on from those past years of unpredictability. It is worth everyone asking themselves the question: what does a more stable and predictable model of governance look and feel like, and who might be incentivised to try to stop us from achieving it?

I am very proud to have played a part in some of the government's key achievements so far and I applaud the government's significant early wins on budget repair—$11 billion so far, and counting. I want to highlight the government's recent tax cuts, which will benefit tens of thousands of residents in Brisbane. I also want to congratulate the government for its vision for our defence industry. I have already heard from so many local businesses around Brisbane, including advanced manufacturers and specialist service providers, who are benefiting from this vision and are creating jobs and opportunities for people in Brisbane right now.

I am also very proud to be a member of the House Economics Committee and to have played a role in the recent bank hearings. I also want to recognise the importance of the government's registered organisations bill and the ABCC bill. Both passed this House last month and are due to be decided by the Senate in the coming days.

During the campaign I had so many tradies, project managers and subcontractors all coming up to me on the street to tell me terrible stories about what was happening on the building sites in inner-city Brisbane, and then to learn that new apartments in our inner-city are between $60,000 and $80,000 more expensive for young or new home owners, when the CFMEU has been involved in the construction on those sites, has been devastating for so many people.

While it may not suit the short-term interests—maybe—of the opposition or indeed some in the media, this government is delivering on its commitments and agenda as well as delivering in the important area of stability. I very much look forward to working hard to continue to deliver in the very best interests of our country.

11:47 am

Photo of Matt ThistlethwaiteMatt Thistlethwaite (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs) Share this | | Hansard source

When I first read this motion by the member for North Sydney I thought he must have gotten his speeches mixed up—that he actually submitted his material for the 'open mic night' at the Canberra Comedy Club. This is genuinely good comedy. 'Securing Australia's 25 consecutive years of economic growth': the member for North Sydney claims that this government can make claim to that. Great comedy. 'Establishing a process which makes bank Chief Executive Officers answerable to the public through appearances before Parliament': when I read that I was rolling in the aisles. Then I read on: 'securing the naval shipbuilding industry and jobs for the future'. Are they on drugs over on that side of the parliament! They did their best to absolutely destroy Australia's naval shipbuilding industry, in the wake of destroying Australia's automotive industry.

But when I read on I just became angry, because they make some claims in here that are downright lies. 'Increasing protection for women and children against domestic violence', is one of those. All this government has done for victims of domestic violence and their children is made life harder. That makes me and many others very angry. I will get to that in a moment.

Regarding the claim of 25 years of economic growth I am going to give those opposite a history lesson. They may not know it but it was actually the Hawke and Keating governments that laid the foundations and started the process of the 25 years of economic growth that Australia has seen. They were the ones who opened up our economy, reduced protection, floated the Australian dollar, increased competition into many markets, made our industrial relations system much more competitive through reforms in the accord years and the introduction of enterprise bargaining, and introduced compulsory superannuation so that Australians began saving for their retirement. All of these reforms were Labor government reforms and they are the reforms that laid the foundations for Australia's economic growth.

What did the Liberals do during the Howard years? They did their best to blow it. They introduced middle-class welfare, through baby bonuses and the like, and tax cuts for the most rich in our economy. None of it was saved for infrastructure or anything like that. They introduced middle-class welfare and tax cuts for the rich. What is the current government's economic record? They have increased the budget deficit. They have increased debt. Real incomes in Australia are falling to some of their lowest levels and, as a result, living standards in Australia are falling. Australians are actually worse off than when the Liberal Party was elected. We have got underemployment and youth unemployment in the regions that is out of control and we have got business investment falling. Australians are worse off.

The claim that the bank CEOs were held to account is simply laughable. An invitation to Canberra for a two-hour cup of tea and a rap over the knuckles is no substitute for a royal commission. I think all we need do is ask the thousands of victims of banks over recent years what they think of this claim of holding the CEOs to account. I know what they will do with that—they will laugh.

When I read the claim about increasing protection for women and children against domestic violence I got downright angry because all this government has done is the opposite. This government has cut $52 million from services that support victims of domestic violence and their families. There have been cuts to community legal centres, cuts to the Aboriginal Legal Service and cuts to legal aid. Community legal centres are having further cuts—30 per cent of their funding will be cut from 1 July 2017. There will be $88 million cut from the national partnership on homelessness.

Where do those opposite think that victims of domestic violence go when they leave home with nothing more than the clothes on their back and their kids? Where do you think they go? They go to community legal centres. They go to the Aboriginal Legal Service. They go to legal aid. All this mob have done is cut those vital and important services. How dare they come in here and make claims about increasing protection for women and children against domestic violence. Those are downright lies.

The motion goes on to say that they are supporting vocational education and training. I can tell you that in the electorate I represent we have got 1,000 fewer apprentices in training than when this government came to office. That is their record on vocational education and training. Those who are speaking in support of this motion ought to be ashamed of themselves.

11:52 am

Photo of Damian DrumDamian Drum (Murray, National Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I can proudly say that I am talking to this motion and I am certainly not ashamed of myself. I think this is an opportunity to stand up and tell the parliament and the people of Australia what is happening in my electorate in relation to a whole range of infrastructure projects, tertiary education, employment and business opportunities, and initiatives that are going to drive amenity in my area and certainly be a rolled-gold advertisement for what a government can do when it simply puts its nose to the grindstone and gets things done.

We campaigned fiercely on a strategy of jobs and economic growth. The $20 million Regional Jobs and Investment Package that has been put forward by Senator Fiona Nash has garnered a lot of interest in my electorate. The Hume region and the Goulburn Valley region are going to be very active players in this space. Last Friday representatives of 13 local government areas, the Committee for Greater Shepparton, the Committee for Echuca Moama and local RDA representatives were all there to give advice and their opinion on how this $20 million can best be spent. Collectively this is some of the best regional development acumen that we have. They were brought together to work out the best use of the funding for further growth in regional jobs.

In relation to infrastructure in the electorate, there is a $97 million commitment from the federal government to go with the commitments from the Victorian and New South Wales governments to the Echuca-Moama bridge, which is a vital piece of infrastructure that is going to give the local transport industries a real boost and provide great amenity for the river towns of Echuca and Moama into the future. That is a flagship project in my area that has been waiting somewhere around 40 to 50 years for funding, and it is Darren Chester and the Nationals who have led that charge to get that funding allocated for that area.

Another project in relation to water development is the $20 million for the mid-west pipeline based around Wedderburn, linking the Grampians system to the Goulburn-Murray system. It is an amazing piece of infrastructure. There is going to be hundreds and hundreds of kilometres of pipeline linking up and proving secure high-quality water to around 600 to 700 residences, many of them active farms and also some lifestyle properties as well. There is $20 million from the federal government into this pipeline project, which is for communities that have been waiting 20 and 30 years and have never had secure water in the past. Also there are some significant road upgrades to the Goulburn Valley Highway and the arterial route around Shepparton. Some very dangerous roundabouts are going to be fixed, building on the road safety issue.

When we want to have a comparison between how the coalition goes about its work and how a potential Labor government would go about its work, all you have to do is look at the Victorian Labor Party, and you will see the sheer hundreds of millions of dollars that have been ripped out of the roads budgets over the last two years—$160 million in local roads and bridges. That project was just abandoned by the Andrews government. That funding was given to local governments so that each council could spend, on average, $4 million per year on their local roads and bridges. That was just abandoned. We have had this incredible desire to spend every available piece of income in Melbourne and a total abandonment of regional Victoria by the Andrews government. So, if we want to know how the Labor Party might potentially act if it ever had the opportunity to govern, we simply have to look at the fights that have been picked between Daniel Andrews and the CFA. It has been a disgraceful term in office whose impacts are still being felt on a daily basis. In comparison, we have had the way that Barnaby Joyce was able to jump in and assist the dairy industry in times of crisis, and thank goodness we have the packages available.

Photo of Sharon BirdSharon Bird (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Vocational Education) Share this | | Hansard source

I thank the member. Can I remind members, as the Speaker says, to refer to people by their titles rather than their names.

11:58 am

Photo of Joanne RyanJoanne Ryan (Lalor, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

It was a real surprise for me as well when I read this motion put by the member for North Sydney, a motion that can only be said to be self-congratulatory. I am pleased to stand here, because I find most of the content of this motion highly contestable. Five minutes will not allow the kind of forensic response that I would like to give, but I will look at a few of the most outrageous claims in this motion, the first being, as highlighted by previous speakers, that the member for North Sydney wants to claim that in the first 100 days of this government it secured Australia's 25th consecutive year of economic growth, which is absolutely astounding.

Of course, the maths is simple: 2016 minus 25 takes us back to 1991. What was happening then? Our proud period of continuous economic growth began then, when we were in the middle of the Hawke-Keating Labor governments, who successfully took Australia into the global economy and did so while preserving an egalitarian society—something this government might want to take a close look at—introducing HECS and Medicare, and increasing the welfare wage. Then the Howard government came into government, cash-splashed its way through a mining boom and passed tax cuts giving us the structural deficit that we are looking at, which those opposite sometimes claim is an emergency and then for the next two years completely and utterly ignore. A Labor government saved us from the global financial crisis by acting quickly, acting on excellent advice and ensuring that Australia's economy—unlike most economies in the world—survived what was a tsunami of economic impacts. Of all the developed nations, we fared best because of Labor's economic policies. This government has nothing to do with 25 years of consecutive economic growth.

The next point that made me laugh, as it has many others, was the notion that the protection of the borders should be something to be celebrated. The irony of this is—this day, this week, as we come back to the parliament—to find that those opposite are talking now about introducing the Malaysia solution that they opposed five years ago. One can only wonder at what history will say of this and the five intervening years, when their opposition to a regional solution proposed by the Gillard government for asylum seekers was beaten down by those opposite and some of their friends on the other side. What will history say of the LNP's politicisation of human suffering across the last five years when, eventually, they land on a solution that they so drastically opposed?

There are a few other points that I want to make with just under two minutes to go. One would be celebrating the fairer and more flexible superannuation system. Well, yes, congratulations to those opposite for reinstating Labor's policy that, in the first iteration of this government, they undid—that would be the low income superannuation contribution.

They have tripled the deficit but they want to congratulate themselves on their handling of the economy. They want to congratulate themselves on getting bankers to come into the parliament to have that cup of tea and talk for two hours to a government-controlled committee, rather than having the royal commission that Australians so sorely want to see to call banks to account for some of the heinous things that were going on in that sector.

The other one they want to congratulate themselves on is increasing protection for women and children against domestic violence. This is absolutely outrageous. I can only assume that the member for Sydney has included this to take a swipe at the former Abbott government—who slashed funding in this space—and they want to now claim they are doing a great job because the current Prime Minister put some funding back. But that funding came too late for community organisations to hang on to staff   , came too late to ensure that programs that were in place continued through those years.

They have also claimed fixing the problems in vocational education and training, and cracking down on dodgy providers. It only took them four years to get around to that and we are yet to see how the implementation is going to go; we have some grave concerns about that. The final joke, of course, is that they are including education in their list of achievements. That is just a joke. (Time expired)

Photo of Sharon BirdSharon Bird (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Vocational Education) Share this | | Hansard source

The time allotted for the debate has expired. The debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.