Claire Chandler (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I restate: in taking note of the responses today, I can't help but reflect on how this chamber's time would be better spent asking and answering questions about this government's plan to make life better for everyday Australians. As I said, that is what mature, grown-up governments do, and we're getting on with the job. We've delivered tax relief for 10 million working Australians, and we've backed in our farmers with our drought relief fund. We're dealing with foreign terrorist fighters who are trying to come back to our country, with our tough new temporary exclusion orders to keep Australians secure. We're helping our hardworking families and our farmers by progressing legislation to outlaw the activists who are invading our farms. We've given more power and greater flexibility to the courts to deregister law-breaking unions and take action against certain militant parts of unions on their officials.

On every issue, at every turn, Labor has tried to oppose and block our agenda and play these political games, and they've been rightly called out—in fact, pilloried—for trying to play these games with pieces of legislation that not only were supported by voters at the election but are commonsense, practical policies to make life better for everyday Australians. What we are seeing from them today is just a continuation of this counterproductive behaviour. These games, these time wasting, unnecessary parliamentary tactics, are not what Australians voted for. Everyday Australians voted for a grown-up government that gets the job done. Everyday Australians resoundingly endorsed a government that keeps our economy strong and our future secure. That is what Australians voted for and that is what this coalition government is setting out to do.

In stark contrast, now we have a situation where Labor, clearly, doesn't want to talk about policies anymore, so instead they are going to play the man. Why would Labor stop giving Australians a tax cut? Why would Labor oppose locking in funding for our drought-affected communities? Why would Labor oppose legislation which seeks to ensure unions and union officials act within the law? Those are the questions that have Australians wondering what on earth Labor have been doing since the election. Whose side are they on? Whose side is Labor on? Are they are on the side of hardworking Australians who deserve tax relief and who deserve to have their next generations employable and appropriately trained for the jobs of the future? Whose side is the Labor Party on, because it is clearly not the side of everyday Australians?

Question agreed to.