Clare O'Neil (Hotham, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Innovation, Technology and the Future of Work) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] We are about two weeks on from the federal government's budget, and I have to say I don't think I've ever seen budget expectations pumped so high. We were even told by the Prime Minister that this was the most important budget since the Second World War. What a deflating exercise it turned out to be. It takes quite some acumen to spend quite that much money but have no vision; no big, bold ambitions for the country; and no real plan for Australia's future. How can we spend a trillion dollars in government debt and end up really with nothing much to show for it?

The budget was a thudding disappointment in part because it failed to address one of the most important things that face the lives of my constituents at the moment, and that is the declining standard of living that they've experienced after seven years of this Liberal government. The government would have you believe that everything that's wrong with the economy today is the result of the coronavirus. It's not the case. We've had seven years of stagnant wages growth. We've had penalty rates cut and seen the government stand back and say that it's nothing to do with them. Mr Deputy Speaker, now they're coming after your superannuation, trying to take away the increase that Australian workers bargained so hard for. Mr Deputy Speaker, next time the coalition tell you what great economic managers they are, ask yourself what has happened to your household budget since they were elected seven years ago. If you're over it, you should be.