Tania Lawrence (Hasluck, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Back in the day of the Hawke government, Labor floated the dollar. The conservatives, following the balladeer John O'Brien, said, 'We'll all be rooned!' Labor introduced Medicare. Again, the coalition screeched, 'It'll be the end of the health system!' Labor introduced superannuation. They screamed, 'Business will never be able to afford it!' And they yelled, 'Superannuation! Isn't it just for rich people?' Now, years later, Labor is fixing housing. We're taking the steps to make housing more affordable for a whole generation of young people. We are fixing capital gains. We are fixing negative gearing. But the coalition—they're at it again.

The opposition leader cries that, if re-elected in Hume, he will reverse the changes. He will cut the tax cuts. He will reinstate the very measures that allowed housing to get out of control, because apparently fixing the system and giving young people a chance is the end of the world. 'We'll all be ruined!' shouts the member for Hume. But the opposition leader knows that we need to fix the system. The shadow Treasurer knows it, and they and their whole congregation should be voting for it. As the Prime Minister said, if you accept that the system isn't working, then you have to fix it. We are doing this. We are delivering housing for young Australians.