Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I too rise to take note of the response by Senator Gallagher to Senator Hume's question. An old expression that we all know is that leopards don't change their spots, and there is nothing more certain than that Labor in government will never, ever change their spots. They talk down the economy. They're always hoping for things to go wrong and are so disappointed when they don't. They make plans for having plans. We've just heard again from the speakers opposite about all their plans to have a plan to govern. They've got summits, they've got conferences, they've got reviews and they've got royal commissions. They have everything they can to prevent them from having to make a decision.

News flash to those opposite: government is difficult; government is challenging. But in government you have to make decisions. I'm absolutely at a loss to know what the now government did when in opposition. They had many years to get across the economy, to get across COVID policy, to get across jobs policy. But it seems all they did in opposition was talk to the trade unions, and now, instead of coming out and being honest that the trade union movement is behind pretty much everything they're now putting forward, are finding many ways—plans for a plan. Be honest and just come out and say, 'This is what the trade union movement wants.' In fact, why not put Sally McManus on the frontbench? That would be more honest than the approach they're now taking to deal with the cost-of-living problems, industrial relations, and many other things.

In saying that leopards don't change their spots, I want to read out something, and colleagues might like to guess who said it and when in relation to the Labor Party:

Our opponents have been destructive critics. They have politically welcomed every difficulty. They have prophesied, and hoped for, disaster. Depression, mass unemployment, financial collapse; these have been their gloomy political stock-in-trade. All their prophecies have failed. Instead of depression, we have a record prosperity. Instead of unemployment, we have a record level of employment at high wages. Instead of financial collapse, we have the highest national income on record, large exports and international reserves, splendid credit, buoyant loan markets, stabilised prices.

Today, bitterly frustrated by the failure of their past prophecies, they are struggling to raise false issues and new prejudices, and to make glittering promises distract attention from real and solid achievements.

Colleagues, this was Sir Robert Menzies in 1954 talking about the Labor Party. Had I not just told you that, you would have thought it is actually right here today in this chamber from those who occupy the government benches. As I said—newsflash, government is hard. You have to make thousands and thousands of ministerial decisions every day based on the best evidence before you. You don't have a plan for a plan, you don't hold summits and wait three months to do things that you could have done on day one of coming into government. Instead, you have reviewed, talked, held those summits so you can get through trade union ideas under the guise of consulting with very few Western Australians, may I say.

Let me tell you what good government actually looks like. Despite all of the rhetoric from those opposite now doing triple-somersaults to try to reinvent the past, the coalition government responded quickly with a targeted cost-of-living package to ease pressure on household budgets, when they needed it most under our government. We provided lower taxes to around 10 million Australians, who will receive tax relief of $1,500 now—today—when lodging their tax returns. This includes the $420 cost-of-living tax offset for low- and middle-income earners. We delivered a $250 cost-of-living payment to nearly six million pensioners, welfare recipients, veterans and eligible concession cardholders. We cut the fuel excise in half for six months, saving a family with two cars who filled up once a week at least $30 a week. We reduced the price of medicine and health costs for thousands and thousands of medicines. That is what good government looks like. For those opposite, at some point you are going to have to start making decisions, being honest about what you're doing and govern in this nation's best interest.