Joanne Ryan (Lalor, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They say that politics is about priorities, and those opposite have definitely shown where their priorities lie. They do not lie with the vulnerable people in our communities. They do not lie with people who are forced to wait 161 days to have their pension processed. Today I wanted to talk about the way those priorities are manifesting. They're manifesting in that those opposite are clearly seen in the community as the friends of the big banks, with their $17 billion tax cuts they'd like to get through this place to support their friends in the banks. They were clearly showing that when they fought tooth and nail to avoid the banking royal commission, but it is no more evident than in their continued friendship with the payday lenders.

We have waited 1,053 days to see legislation, which we know has been drafted, that will protect vulnerable people from being preyed upon by unscrupulous payday lenders. Where is this missing legislation? Where has it gone, and why are people in my community waiting for this government to protect them? The answers lie with the member for Deakin. He should be come in here and explain to the House why we're still waiting for that legislation to be presented in this chamber and why vulnerable people are waiting for this government to protect them. For those people opposite who are members of the parliamentary friends of payday lenders group, they ought to put their hands up and take some responsibility for their actions.