Senator GALLAGHER (Australian Capital Territory—Minister for the Public Service, Minister for Finance, Minister for Women, Manager of Government Business in the Senate and Vice-President of the Executive Council) (12:27): Well, it looks like we're starting the year as we left last year, with the opposition opposing, with no positive plans, with no policies, with no ideas other than to come in here and disrupt the Senate and complain as the government gets on with providing cost-of-living relief to Australian households—so, nothing new. If that's the best they've got, then we're in pretty solid territory. We are here, and we have spent the summer looking at ways that we can further assist Australian households who are doing it tough with cost-of-living pressures. I note that the motion moved by Senator Birmingham today talks about everything other than the proposal we are putting forward in legislation. It talks about a whole range of things, but as we hear them crab-walking away from their initial hysterical response—and we won't forget it. We won't forget when the deputy opposition leader went out and, before she'd even seen the legislation, before it had even been released, said that she opposed it and that the opposition would be against it. Then they did see it, and they said that they would reverse it and that they would roll it back; we remember that. And we remember the crab-walking away as they went: 'Oh, actually, we'll have a look at it. It does look pretty good. It does mean that 100 per cent of taxpayers get a tax cut. It does mean that 84 per cent of Australians get a bigger tax cut. It does mean that 11½ million Australians will get a bigger tax cut. Hang on a minute; maybe we shouldn't have gone out and said we should reverse it and roll it back.' And they started crab-walking away. That's what we're seeing now, and we've seen it from the Leader of the Opposition this morning. We see the talking points: 'We won't stand in the way of this, but we're going to take up all this time in the Senate to come in here and complain about something that we are now going to support'—for real! If you were to stick to your convictions, as our leader just said, then you would vote against the proposal, but you want it both ways. You want to say, 'Oh, actually, it is a much better deal, and we will vote for it, but we're actually going to be against it.' Senator Ruston interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Senator Ruston, seek the call and stop interjecting. Senator GALLAGHER: Come on! Do you think the Australian people don't see what you're doing? We've at least fronted up and said, 'We have changed our position, and this is why.' We have done every interview, and we have spoken with everybody we can, and our government—all of us—are out there talking with Australians about what this means. And they get it. When the economic circumstances change, when inflation remains high and when we've had interest rate increases that started under your watch when inflation was highest in the quarter during your final term in government, they understand that. If there is something that the government can do to provide cost-of-living relief, they expect us to do it, which is what we have done with this proposal that you're now going to actually back in while you say, 'Everything about it is wrong.' We know that, unless you vote against it, all this bitching and moaning— Honourable senators interjecting— Senator GALLAGHER: all of this complaining that's going on over there is just politics. Honourable senators interjecting— Senator GALLAGHER: I will withdraw. The PRESIDENT: I remind senators to seek the call if you think something has been said that is disorderly. Stop interjecting. Senator GALLAGHER: I've withdrawn it. The PRESIDENT: Senator Gallagher has withdrawn. Please continue. Senator Hanson-Young: You're all whingeing and moaning about it. The PRESIDENT: Senator Hanson-Young, that is not helpful. Senator GALLAGHER: Thank you, Senator Hanson-Young. All the whingeing and moaning that's happening over there is all just politics. You actually support the policy, but you want to run the politics. Well, we are putting people before politics. We took this decision. We knew there would be consequences in changing our position, but we went in because we knew it was the right thing to do—not the easy thing to do and not the convenient thing to do. We knew you would run around and try and run scare campaigns and cry in your teacups and carry on. We knew that. But it's the right thing to do, and the Australian people know it. They expect their government to do the right thing for the right reason. That's why we are doing this. The Australian people expect their governments to do this. They don't expect us to take the easy option just because we might face a motion in the Senate because the opposition doesn't like it. That's not what being in government is about.