Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I normally say it is a pleasure to be able to rise in this place and speak on the matters that are here for our consideration. But I am finding that, day after day as I come into this place, there is not much that is pleasurable about the things that I have to say with regard to the legislation that this government is ramming through—and the deceptive nature of what they communicated before the election and the miserly view of Australia that is embedded in the legislation that comes before this House under the leadership of this new government.

The repeal of the mineral resources rent tax confirms the great fiction behind this deceptive government's concocted budget crisis. Fresh from hitting lower- and middle-income Australia with cruel cuts and tax increases, they now offer government largesse to some of the largest multinational corporations. This legislation that we are discussing today is determined to deny Australians fair remuneration for the sale of minerals that we as Australians own. It is our natural inheritance of the natural wealth of this country. This legislation is nothing short of corporate welfare, releasing this government from any responsibility to share profits equitably across the nation. It is another repetition of the type of legislation determined to not only to create inequity but to entrench it—to embed it in the very legislation of the nation. The Abbott government is actively encouraging the mining sector to become, in their disgraceful language, 'the leaners' and the people who are dealing the hard work lifting for this country—ordinary working people, people on middle incomes, people in small businesses right across this nation—have cause to be completely offended by this legislation repealing the mining resource rent tax coming through from this government. Hardworking families now, thanks to Tony Abbott's cruel cuts and tax increases, are going to be forced into a struggle even greater than that which they currently confront.

We have got workers being forced to pay $7 just to see a GP—reports that people are anxiety ridden and unable to actually consider even going to the doctor. They are so frightened about the fact that they might not to be able to afford the basic services that are part of the ordinary fabric of a healthy society. This sick tax has not even started yet, but so fearful are the Australian people of the legislative agenda that they have already seen revealed by this government that that is the social impact of what they are threatening to do.

Australians should get the health care they deserve; not the health care that Tony Abbott decides that they can afford. But according to this sorry excuse for a government, the actual health care of Australians comes second or a very long way behind the needs of multinational corporations in the mining sector. That is without considering the litany of unfair measures contained in the unfair budget: cuts to pensioners, cuts to students, cruel cuts to those unfortunate enough to be unemployed. The Abbott government seems to have a view that you are unfortunate enough to have little, you should be punished more for having less. Apparently the coalition believes the destitute should be destitute and they should be punished for being so. On the other hand, being a successful multinational corporation deserves a generous welfare cheque from this sham of a government. The decisions made by this government in its very short time continue to reveal the shocking list of inequity.

Debate interrupted.