Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Abetz, welcome to the debate! I look forward to hearing your comments, Senator Abetz. If the last three years, the time I have been in this chamber, are any indication, I am sure the rhetoric from Senator Abetz will not change. If you have no value to add to this conversation, the best advice I could give to senators opposite is that it is probably better to keep your heads low because, when you look at the commentary coming from the media this morning, you will see no less than Heather Ridout from the Australian Industry Group and Mr Henderson from the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry praising the Rudd Labor government’s budget. It is delivering. I ask senators opposite to take note: however long you may find yourselves sitting on that side, Mr Rudd and Mr Swan delivered on election promises—not ‘core’ promises, not ‘non-core’ promises. Election promises were all funded and committed to.

I will go back to the issue of the Pilbara. I would like to talk about all the money that has come out of that region. I listened to a speech from Senator Eggleston yesterday. He even strengthened my belief that that area of Australia, which generates so much wealth for the Commonwealth, has been absolutely raped and pillaged over the years.

When we talk about Infrastructure Australia being needed to fix up the bottlenecks, whether they be at our ports or on our roads, they were created by those opposite when in government and were major factors in putting upward pressure on interest rates. At least the Rudd Labor government is taking the steps to place Australia’s future in very safe hands with a very fiscally responsible budget that was delivered in this great parliament last night. On that note, I will cease my remarks.