QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE: TAKE NOTE OF ANSWERS
Senator DEAN SMITH (Western Australia) (15:48): I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by ministers to questions without notice asked by Opposition senators today. Today, Labor has legislated its budget of broken promises and lies, and it did so because its legislation was supported through a dirty, rotten deal with the Australian Greens. Australians have been left scratching their heads this afternoon.
How can it be that a political party that got just 34.6 per cent of the vote join with a political party, the Australian Greens, who got 12 per cent of the vote—that is less than 50 per cent of the vote at the last election—but still have the power to legislate a budget of broken promises and lies? This afternoon there was a stark warning to every Australian.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, supported by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and supported by Labor senators, revealed that Labor is happy to do deals, to govern hand-in-glove, with the least representative party in Australian politics, with the least centrist party in Australian politics, with the least moderate party in Australian politics, the Australian Greens. That should be a warning sign for Australians.
What we saw was a willingness from the Prime Minister to break promises. But let me remind you, not so long ago, the Prime Minister broke other promises, and, because the Australian community let him get away with it last time, he thought he could get away with it this time. So, the message to Australian voters is a simple one.
If you want a political system that will be governed by broken promises into the future, then continue to vote for the Australian Labor Party. But if you want improvements in our political system and if you want trust to be restored in our political system, then punish Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Labor Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Labor members of parliament.
But don't just punish them for breaking promises. Punish them for governing hand-in-glove with the least representative, the least centrist, the least moderate political party in our system, the Australian Greens. Every Labor member of parliament, senator or member of the House of Representatives, should hold their head in shame that they choose to govern with a radical party of the left.
The two left-wing parties of Australian politics this afternoon joined arms and voted together, and, unfortunately, it is not an uncommon occurrence. But if you want to change that then you have to change your vote. If you don't want things to get better in this country, if you are happy with the way that things are going in this country, well then, continue to vote for the Australian Labor Party who works in unison with the Australian Greens.
Unfortunately, the economic challenges for Australia remain, irrespective of the budget passing today. Inflation remains unchallenged. Interest rates are speculated to continue to rise.
Government spending continues to go up and up and up, and it's at its highest level in 40 years outside a recession and a pandemic. That is bad news for Australian families. That is bad news for the Australian economy.
(Time expired)