Milton Dick (Oxley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's 1,165 days—that is how long this government has known there has been a problem with the loan sharks in the out-of-control payday loans industry in this country. In that time, the number of homes forced to turn to payday loans has jumped to 800,000. Yet, despite promise after promise by minister after minister we are no closer to clamping down on the loan sharks who continue to rip off consumers.

I don't hold any hope for the future, either, when we have a minister in charge who is happy to charge taxpayers $38,000 for home internet at the same time that the loan sharks keep ripping off consumers. This is the same minister who in 2015, when he was Minister for Human Services, said: 'While most people receiving welfare payments are honest and do the right thing there are a small number of people who still think it is okay to cheat the system and take more than they are entitled to. What these individuals don't appreciate is that they are actually stealing from their neighbours.' Well, the minister's actual neighbours are quoted in the media. His neighbour, Mr Thompson, said, 'The enormous internet bill seems a little dodgy.' Others said they were stunned on hearing how much the minister had spent on wireless internet. The hypocrisy is staggering. Rather than spending his time downloading thousands and thousands of hours of House of Cards, I call on this minister to start focusing and bring forward the full and proper legislation to stop the loan sharks and end the payday loan rip-off in Australia.