Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong—and I congratulate her again on her appointment. What policy reasons did the minister have for voting against her former Prime Minister, Ms Gillard, to whom she publicly declared her loyalty in yesterday's leadership ballot?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate for that question. I have to say that what it demonstrates again is the tendency that Senator Abetz and a number of his colleagues have to personalise debate in this chamber. Regarding the decisions that individuals elected to this parliament make, all of us in this chamber on all sides of politics, with the exception perhaps of Senator Xenophon, at times have had to make decisions about who leads our party. They are decisions all of us weigh up. I put my reasons on the public record.

When it comes to issues of policy, however, I remind the Senate that the policy I am asked about is important. I would like to debate policy. I would like us to talk about how it is we can continue to create jobs in this country—having a Labor government that has delivered 960,000 jobs since it was elected. Policy is important when it comes to economic management and, of course, this government has delivered growth in the economy such that we are 14 per cent bigger as an economy than we were in 2007.

And, of course, there are other policies for a fairer Australia: the delivery through both houses of parliament of DisabilityCare. Only a Labor government would ever have delivered it. It would never have been delivered by the coalition. They had the opportunity, as Australians know.

So I am very happy, as are all in the Labor Party, to talk about policy and our plans for a stronger and brighter future for Australians—an Australia that is fairer and more— (Time expired)

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. If the government was that good, as Senator Wong just outlined, why on earth did they need to axe the Prime Minister? I ask: what changes, if any, to the policies of the Gillard government has the new Prime Minister, Mr Rudd, put forward to justify his return to the prime ministership?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I find it strange in passing that a member of the coalition party room is seeking a justification for decisions that the Labor Party has made. We as a government are very clear about our values and our priorities, and they are Labor values. They are values that are all about an Australia that delivers—

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! When there is silence we will proceed.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was talking about Labor values and the importance of putting forward policies that spread opportunity across this great land of ours. I was talking about Labor values and the importance of ensuring fairness in our society. I was talking about Labor values and the importance of ensuring decent wages and conditions for working Australians and of ensuring more superannuation and a more secure and dignified retirement for Australians, which is something the coalition have always opposed. Let us never forget that those opposite have never supported compulsory superannuation. These are Labor values and Labor priorities— (Time expired)

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Given that the minister has advanced no policy reasons for the removal of the Prime Minister, will she indicate whether yesterday's leadership coup was therefore all about trying to save the jobs of Labor MPs and had nothing to do whatsoever with advancing the true welfare of the people of Australia?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is interesting, isn't it, that the only time we get questions from the opposition about jobs is when it is in relation to political jobs? They never ask us questions about jobs for Australians. They never ask questions about how it is we can create more jobs in our economy. They never ask questions about how it is we can ensure that our economy grows, because, of course, if your economy grows you can ensure there is greater income and there will be more jobs. It is interesting that a coalition that professes to be interested in Australians never talks about employment-generating policies or growth-generating policies. They come in here day after day and all they can continue with is relentless negativity over and over again. That is the form card of this opposition, both in this place and in the other place.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order. At the very dying stages of the answer, could I remind the minister of the requirement to be directly relevant. The issue was in relation to any policy rationale whatsoever for the change of the prime ministership of our nation yesterday.

Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for School Education and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on the point of order, Senator Wong is being directly relevant to the question. She has gone directly to the point, and the point is—at risk of debating the point—she is pointing out that the alternative situation is something that does not go anywhere near policy, and the only time you mention policy is in the context of leadership.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! There is no point of order. The minister has five seconds remaining.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I said, we do care about jobs on this side of the chamber, and that is why we have always put jobs first. (Time expired)