Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tonight I rise to speak once more about why this government's budget of broken promises represents such a clear breach of trust. A little over a year ago in this chamber, I warned about what an Abbott government would mean for Australia. When speaking about the completely unfair criticism being levelled at the leadership of our former Prime Minister Julia Gillard, I said the following:

Governments should be held to account for decisions made, policies pursued and legislation passed—our democratic process depends on it. But the process begins to crack and fail when an opposition … cynically exploit simple mantras like 'great big new tax' without putting forward any new ideas for how to ensure Australia's future prosperity and safety. I believe this country deserves better. I believe this country deserves better than an opposition that pursues radical Tea Party style political tactics at the expense of informed debate. I believe this country deserves better than an opposition that ignores expert opinion and evidence-based decision making on policy in favour of simplistic slogans, fearmongering and shrill opposition to any reform on the basis of shallow, predetermined political calculus. I believe this country deserves better than an opposition leader who is motivated by attaining power rather than examining the merits of government's reforms.

But of course Tony Abbott did win the election and is exhibiting just the sort of decision making that I feared.

His first budget shows that he is indeed the George W Bush of Australian politics—a man who is not here to lead, to inspire and to govern for the downtrodden and hard of luck as well as the elite and the wealthy; a man who is doing the bidding of big businesses, dismantling the integrity of university funding, cutting vital programs and refusing to properly fund sectors such as renewable energy, which is vital to the future prosperity of the country and, indeed, the integrity of our environment. He is a man who smirks and winks through interview performances; a man who refuses to admit that his views on climate change and how to lower emissions belong in another century; a man who never fails to disappoint; a man who is absolutely embarrassing us on the world stage; a man who is lowering the tone of political debate without shame; and a man who is delivering a budget that is quite simply an affront to those struggling to get by.

Some of these changes will have impacts that I do not believe this government has properly thought through. Take my home state of Tasmania. Whilst PSG Russell Smith fell and the Australian tax office shed jobs in locations across the state, the government sought to introduce higher education reforms which will see $30 million worth of funding cut from the University of Tasmania, the biggest employer in Launceston and down south. It hardly inspires confidence, does it?

As my Labor colleagues will tell you, we know that when people lose their jobs it means uncertainty for families and less money circulating in the community. But this government has committed a series of errors which will do nothing to get more Tasmanians back into work. I ask them to explain how decreasing payments to low-income families and job seekers, and implementing a range of measures which will pull the rug out from under the disadvantaged, will create jobs and boost economic development.

The plan to cut Newstart payments to young people under 30 who do not have a job and cannot find one is just cruel. What does the Abbott government honestly envisage these young people will do for six months without any form of income or support? It will actually push people into poverty and put them in a position where they are unable to find work and become more reliant on community and homelessness services. I really hope that those opposite realise what their budget will actually do and that it will have an enormous impact on our communities.

We remember on this side the sanctimonious lectures from those opposite about broken promises. The price on carbon, we were told every day, constituted a breach of trust. Well, look what has happened now. Before the election we were promised no cuts to health, no cuts to education, no changes to the pension, no new taxes and no tax increases. Yet this budget means that families will pay every time they see the doctor. They will pay even more when they go to fill up their cars. We know there will be Australians who will not go to the pharmacy to fill their prescriptions, and we know there are going to be Australians who will not have the pathology tests they need. Australia deserves a government with vision that is working towards building a nation with a resilient economy and one that also provides for our most vulnerable citizens. (Time expired)