Guy Barnett (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no better day than today to announce to the Senate the recent launch of the www.laborwaste.com.au website. This was recently launched in Launceston by the Hon. Malcolm Turnbull, the federal opposition leader. Why do I say today is such an important day? Today we have announced our opposition to the federal Labor government’s $42 billion expenditure package because it is wrong. It is a dud. They are throwing money around like confetti, like never seen before. The Prime Minister wanted us to approve the package within 48 hours—that is about a billion dollars an hour for consideration of this legislation. It is poorly targeted, ill thought through and irresponsible.

In regard to the website, I thank the Leader of the Opposition, Malcolm Turnbull, for spending time with us in Tasmania to make it happen. This followed a meeting regarding important issues with the Launceston City Council. The Labor Waste Committee is an important part of the coalition’s commitment to holding the Rudd Labor government to account for the way it spends and manages taxpayers’ money. As Mr Turnbull said:

Now more than ever, every single dollar of Government spending must be used as effectively and efficiently as possible and directed towards maximising jobs and economic growth.

We will be targeting Labor waste, inefficiency and mismanagement. And we will find that out. Already we have found out and identified examples, which include the $13 million GROCERYchoice website, which to date—

John Williams (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Williams interjecting—

Guy Barnett (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is right, Senator Williams, an absolute dud—a total waste of taxpayers’ money. They have been found out, and we will find them out. The www.laborwaste.com website provides examples of Labor waste. It also provides opportunity for members of the community to tip-off examples of government waste, inefficiency and mismanagement. I am very pleased to be joined by members of the committee: Senators Michaelia Cash, Senator Mitch Fifield, Mr Alex Hawke MP, Mr Paul Neville MP and Senator Scott Ryan. We will be working very hard in identifying Labor waste.

Some other examples of Labor waste include the Rudd hypocrisy on staff pay rises, which was highlighted very recently by Senator Michael Ronaldson. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd secretly gave pay rises to two of his own key staff members, including his chief of staff, while at the same time calling on workers to defer their own requests for pay rises in a staggering case of double standards. It seems that what is good for the goose is not good enough for the gander.

We have seen taxpayers footing the bill for publishing the Garnaut report. The Department of Climate Change and Water was forced to pay $65,000 in taxpayers’ funds to purchase copies of the Garnaut report after the Rudd government awarded the publishing contract to Cambridge University Press. Despite copies of the report being for sale in bookshops, the taxpayer will receive nothing from the agreement. We have also seen the computers in schools fiasco. The cost of Labor’s computers in schools program has blown out 66 per cent. But even with the $800 million increase, Labor will still fail to put a computer on every desk. More examples include $28 million to advertise and administer the economic stimulus package prior to Christmas. What a disgrace. The Rudd government is spending $146,000 per day on climate change advertising. And then we have the 168 reviews, committees and inquiries that have been undertaken to date—and no doubt there are many more.

So, with www.laborwaste.com, we will find you out. We will hold the Rudd Labor government accountable.