George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you very much indeed, Senator Smith, for giving me the opportunity on this first business day of the new parliament to outline the government's plans to build a strong, prosperous and secure Australia—a plan, I might say, Senator Smith, that was endorsed by the Australian people on 7 July. We took to that election a clear plan which set out a roadmap to boost investment, to generate jobs, to grow the economy and to keep Australia safe. It is a plan to provide opportunities for the enterprising men and women of Australia, a plan that will enable our children and our grandchildren to inherit a more prosperous Australia, built on fairness and opportunity.

As I said to you, Senator Smith, we took that plan to the people and the people decided to return us to government. We have a mandate to give effect to that plan and we intend to deliver on our commitments to repay the trust the Australian people have placed in us. By returning us to government, the people endorsed our economic plan, and it is now the responsibility of those who sit in this parliament to respect that mandate. Under our plan, we will be delivering on, for example, the most significant reforms in disability care that Australia has ever seen—but, unlike the Labor Party, we will also be funding it. Under our plan, we will negotiate with the states on school funding and improve the quality of education and, unlike the Labor Party, we will fund it. We will be delivering on reforms across hospital funding, aged care and mental health and introducing structural reform to the welfare payment system—and, unlike the Labor Party, in our plan we are telling the Australian people how we will fund it. And we will continue, as well, our successful roll out of the NBN—(Time expired)