Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Sorry, Senator Back—through you, Mr Acting Deputy President. I could not help myself after that inspiring speech by Senator Macdonald. I felt I had to jump to my feet and have my chance to respond.

It was interesting being in here today, when our colleagues from the other place, the House of Representatives, came through the door. It reminded me of my first Government-General speech, sitting in this chair. It certainly was a good experience for me. I sat next to the previous Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. All through the Governor-General's opening speech, which, of course, was written by the then Prime Minister, Mr Tony Abbott, Kevin Rudd was muttering under his breath, 'This man has no vision; this man has no vision.' When I sat here this morning, listening to the few words that we heard from the current Governor-General, which, obviously, were written by our current Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, it occurred to me that exactly the same thing was the case.

We are about to go to a double dissolution election. We are about to dissolve both houses of parliament, something that has not been seen in this country for over three decades—a very serious thing to do—on the back of some faulty and flawed proposed legislation. The title of the bill refers to 'improving productivity' in the workplace. This is hardly something to take the country to a double dissolution on, and it is hardly the economic vision of a government that is going to lead this country into the 21st century. The economic vision of the previous Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, before he was deposed, was ripping up the carbon price, ripping up the mining tax and stopping the boats. He did not have anything to offer. He did not campaign on anything. Such was the chaos and disarray of the previous Labor government, he got elected by default. After his first budget, he nearly brought on a double dissolution then, because some of us were seriously considering blocking supply, it was that bad. Nevertheless, history shows that, as the current Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, said in his first press conference, Mr Abbott had to go because he had no economic management credentials, or something similar to that.

So here we have our current Prime Minister—he has not delivered a budget, but he has made it clear today by recalling parliament that this piece of proposed legislation is absolutely essential. It is touchstone legislation for his government's economic agenda. What a load of claptrap. The proposed legislation that we debated today for the second time and was defeated by the Senate—and so it should have been—does not reflect what the people of this country want from their government. Tackling multinational tax avoidance; tax reform that leads to a fair and more equitable Australia; revenue-raising measures that get the balance right; an economic vision for a new economy; tackling climate change and creating tens of thousands of new jobs at the same time; being a global leader in areas of climate science and areas of multinational tax avoidance—there is so much this country could do, and yet here we are debating the Australian Building and Construction Commission through a piece of ideological proposed legislation that is straight from the IPA wish list and that most Australians do not think is serious enough to call a double dissolution election on. In fact, I would say most Australians would disagree with the bill if they understood the detail. The government has no vision and no plan for the future.

Senator Smith—through you, Mr Acting Deputy President—would like to move onto something else. Perhaps you do not like being told some home truths, Senator Smith. Yes, I was assisting the chamber by speaking on the address-in-reply, but I was very glad that I got my chance to say that it was quite an experience sitting next to the previous Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, only weeks after having lost the election for Labor. He was absolutely right: this government has had no vision and no plan, and today doubly proved that to me. I am absolutely convinced that this government is likely to go to a double dissolution election because it wants to save its own political skin and this Prime Minister is worried about his own leadership and holding his own party together. The Australian people are smarter than that and, if they get even the slightest sniff that a move to a double dissolution election is to save Malcolm Turnbull's leadership and his own political skin, it will backfire. That is my prophecy. You heard it here first, if it is right.

Debate adjourned.