Senator POLLEY (Tasmania) (15:12): I know quite often those on the other side don't listen to the answers to the questions they put to our ministers, so I just want to remind you, when you come in and manipulate the information and figures to suit your own political ends: in this data today, Senator Gallagher said, 'we have seen the strongest economic growth across the economy—broad-based growth as explained by the ABS for the strongest growth in three years'. They're actually the facts. But I think what the Australian people very much understand about those opposite is that what they say to them in the community and what they do in here are often very different things. It is in your political playbook to ask questions about the debt, but you never actually accept the debt you left. You never accept the high inflation when you left office. The responsibility of a good opposition is to learn from the mistakes they made when they were in government, but you haven't learnt anything. If you had in fact learnt anything from the worst defeat of the Liberal Party's history at the last election—if you had learnt anything at all during that time about running the economy, about being there for the Australian people—you would not have rewarded the leaders of that election campaign strategy, that economic strategy, who are now the leaders of your party. That says to me and to the Australian community that you haven't learnt anything. In the almost 10 years you were in government, how many surpluses were there? I can't remember how many surpluses you delivered. Senator O'Neill: It was zero! Senator POLLEY: Zero! You've come in here and reminded everyone about these four great years of a Labor government that's actually providing for the Australian people. How many surpluses in these four years have the Treasurer and this government delivered? There's no response from those over there. Was it one? Senator O'Neill: More! Senator POLLEY: Two? Senator O'Neill: More! Senator POLLEY: Three! Three surpluses were delivered by this Labor government. This was at the same time as we were paying down the debt that you left behind. When we talk about the cost of living—which is an important issue that we are working on every single day—let's just remind those in the gallery, those who are listening and those who will read the transcripts that those opposite went to the last election promising to increase taxes. What did they do in this chamber when we put through the legislation for each of our tax cuts for Australian workers so that Australian workers could actually keep more of the money that they earn? They voted against it. They talk about our investment into Medicare to provide real cost-of-living benefits for the Australian community. Australians can go and see a GP or they can get urgent care at our urgent care clinics. We've reduced the cost of medication so that mums, in particular, don't have to say, 'I can't afford to fill my script, because my kids need medicine more than I do.' We have lowered that. They're the real measures of a government that understands what's happening in the community. When we talk about Australian workers, what did you do when we passed legislation to increase the pay of some of Australia's lowest paid workers—aged-care workers? You came in here bleating about aged care because you wanted to make political points. What did you do when we wanted to support early childhood educators? What did you do with those two pieces of legislation? You voted against them because you're all very hypocritical in what you do and say. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Polley, please resume your seat. Senator Henderson, on a point of order? Senator Henderson: I have a point of order. I did hold off for quite some time, but the senator is continually referring to 'you'. I ask that you direct her to direct her comments through the chair. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Polley, you should direct your comments through the chair. Senator POLLEY: You always know when you're actually talking about— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Polley, don't stand up and ignore what I've asked you to do. Senator POLLEY: Sorry, Deputy President. I didn't mean to do that. The opposition, through you, Chair, won't accept that what they did when they were in government was not actually appreciated by the Australian people. The Australian people make their judgements based not on what you say but on what you do and what you plan to do. (Time expired)