Peta Murphy (Dunkley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The recession that Australia is going through presents not only significant challenges for families, communities and businesses but a once-in-a-generation opportunity for governments, communities and families to reflect on the sort of future we want and the country we want to build. It is an opportunity for the federal government to take a breath and say: 'What is it that we want in Australia? What do we want to measure in addition to GDP and economic growth?' As Senator Robert F Kennedy said in 1938, GDP 'measures everything except that which is worthwhile'. I propose, as does the shadow Treasurer, that we start to look at concepts such as wellbeing. These have been popular in years gone by and around the world, but the government and the federal Treasurer have rubbished them. We need a quadruple bottom line for the budget where we measure the wellbeing of our economy, our environment, our democracy and our people—our society. And that is why it is so important that we properly fund child care. It's good for the economy. It's good for women's participation in the work force. It's good for children. But this government and Mr Morrison cannot see that. The Leader of the Opposition's policy to support child care properly is what we need to be part of a future for Australia that is bold, that is visionary and that is positive.