Federal Government

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton) (17:48): Today I want to congratulate Nat Cook on the outstanding campaign that she ran for the seat of Fisher, and from here on I will refer to her as the member for Fisher. The member for Fisher is an intelligent, decent and down-to-earth person—something I know the good people of Fisher recognised. She has the ingredients so important in politics: honesty and connectedness. She has the ability to speak with and relate to all people, which places her well in this particular occupation, and it does us a service by her being here. So well done, Nat. Congratulations and welcome to this place. You are a worthy addition.

Before leaving the Fisher election, I do want to note the intervention of a Family First MP into the fray during the crucial stages of the campaign.

Mr Picton: Which one?

The Hon. P. CAICA: It was Robert Brokenshire from another place.

Mr Knoll: Normally we have sore losers, but you are a sore winner.

The Hon. P. CAICA: No, I was surprised. I was surprised that this MP would use parliament to make allegations, allegations that could not be substantiated, and certainly could not or would not be repeated outside the cloak of the protection that parliamentary privilege provides. I was shocked, shocked that the party which purports to be the moral compass would stoop so low. I also do not expect that there will be an apology for his actions and that will not be forthcoming.

In my remarks, I just want to briefly touch on the woes that the federal government and its current leader find themselves in. It is easy for Mr Abbott to say that good government starts today; however, the people of Australia believe that it should have started 17 months ago. The events of yesterday did not simply build up over the last couple of weeks. It has been building since this so-called mature, grown-up government commenced some 17 months ago. The events from yesterday have been 17 months in the making. Why have the Australian people—indeed over one-third of the federal government's party room—lost confidence in Mr Abbott? Well, here are just a few issues and reasons to consider.

The Liberal pledge prior to the election that education funding through Gonski was a unity ticket with the Labor Party's position—that went out the door. It is 'gone-ski'. We heard the minister talk about the pledge that the new submarines will be built in Adelaide. That went out the door. The backbenchers, of course, forced the PM to revisit this issue. I am not quite sure what the competitive evaluation process is about, but it is certainly, I think, not what the backbenchers believe the PM's commitment to be. It is now a 'competitive evaluation process', whatever that means.

Yet another contributing factor to yesterday's fiasco: Mr Abbott's Medicare co-payment, which was widely discredited and condemned by so many. That went down really well. And what about the bizarre PPL (paid parental leave)? There was $100,000-plus for people to access maternity leave, thankfully now jettisoned, like the PM yesterday almost was.

The removal of Labor's 'big new tax', the price on carbon—admittedly, that was one of the few promises he kept, but what is Direct Action? I am not quite sure what Direct Action is. I do not think anyone else does. I do not know what money has been spent on Direct Action to date, or what it means, and the removal of this tax has not left anyone better off, I don't think, except maybe the big end of town. My constituents do not believe there has been any material benefit. Their electricity bills have not gone down.

I guess another contributing factor over the period of time has been the position to provide Phil with a gong. That also went down really well. The Coalition's first (and to date only) budget, a budget that did not impact anywhere near as much on those who are well-off but has severely impacted on those least able to afford the impost of the budget, again has been a contributing factor. It seems that we all have to contribute and we all need to pay our own way; it is simply that those who are most vulnerable and those who can least afford it have to pay more.

They are just a few examples, and Mr Abbott now finds himself in the position that he is in today: a position that will not go away and a position that is untenable. He is terminal, terminally ill, and how can the people of Australia believe him when he says he can change? He has broken so many promises; even his own can see through that. As much as I would like to see Mr Abbott lead his party to the next election, I do not think it is going to happen. He will soon be eaten by his own. To the federal Liberal MPs: stop sending out information that is not factual and not true about concessions and tell the truth.