Page 361 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 20 February 1990
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The Hawke Labor Government has delivered one of the most solidly growing economies in the OECD. That is a matter of grave concern to the Liberals opposite and to the Liberals who now seek to gain power in the Federal Parliament.
One other important issue in the social wage is Medicare - universal and quality health care for all Australians, quite different from that which is proposed by the Liberals under which again the poor would lose out and their wealthy mates would be looked after. Forty thousand child-care places were made available by the Hawke Government - this will be something that will irk the Liberals opposite - all in an accord with the trade union movement which ensured, firstly, the delivery of a social wage and, secondly, the Hawke Labor Government which will never be paralleled by the conservatives opposite.
Mr Kaine: And no child is living in poverty!
Mrs Grassby: Don't ever make a statement, Trevor, that you cannot keep. You are in trouble, mate.
Mr Kaine: I just wanted him to get his facts right.
MR BERRY: Mr Kaine is quite aware that the proposals by the Federal Liberal Opposition hit hardest at the single parents, the long-term unemployed, disabled and ill people, people looking for work, especially older women seeking to re-enter the work force, people from non-English speaking backgrounds and Aborigines. What that Opposition is on about is a cut of $205m in education, $289m in employment and $100m from Aboriginal affairs, just to name a few.
One other important issue that the Hawke Labor Government delivered to the people of Australia in accordance with its platform was self-government for the ACT. Self-government was butchered somewhat by the Liberals and the Democrats in the Senate. We were lumbered with an electoral system which was butchered by the Liberals and the Democrats.
A Member: There's only one butcher here - the butcher of daylight saving.
MR BERRY: I forgot the butcher of daylight saving over here.
Mr Kaine: I would rather butcher daylight saving than the whole hospital system.
MR BERRY: They are getting edgy now because they are all in a little clique. The interesting thing about the whole electoral system was the fraud that was delivered upon us by a - - -
Mr Kaine: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. If I may interrupt this tirade, I thought we were talking about the Hawke Government. Mr Berry does digress a bit, the poor old chap.
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