Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Saturday I held one of my monthly community barbecues in Eight Mile Plains. They're not all in Eight Mile Plains; I go from suburb to suburb. Before the barbecue, a team of volunteers—Trent, Ashwina, Neil, Libby, Sasha, Graeme, Rowan and others—went door knocking to speak directly to Eight Mile Plains locals. On Saturday we all heard that people are very worried about the direction in which the Turnbull government is taking Australia. They're concerned that local schools, hospitals, roads and aged-care facilities, in particular, are losing out so that Prime Minister Turnbull can fund an $80 billion tax give away for the top end of town.

The message to the people of Eight Mile Plains and all across Moreton is this: Labor will stand up for a fair go for all Australians regardless of your circumstances. Just last week we saw the Turnbull government, with the willing support of Senator Hanson and the One Nation political party, give themselves a huge personal tax cut, with 80 per cent of all the benefits going to the top 20 per cent of income earners. How unfair is that! How un-Australian, in fact. Labor opposed this short-sighted sop from the harbour side to the top end of town. Unlike the Turnbull government and Senator Hanson, I don't think the top end needs extra help. It makes economic sense to ensure our local schools receive the $15 million this government cut. It is common sense to make sure the QEII hospital receives the $3.2 million the Turnbull government cut. I'll tell you what I aspire to: I aspire to a fair go for all Australians, and I will so aspire until I expire!