Mr McCORMACK (Riverina—Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance) (15:27): It has now been more than 12 months since the Australian people voted the Australian Labor Party into opposition—7 September 2013. Remember that date? You should. I would have thought that, after six years of chaos, they probably needed a bit of a breather. Certainly, the Australian people thought that. I would have thought they needed to put their feet up, Labor members, with a cup of tea and maybe an Iced VoVo, to review the soap opera that was the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd administration. Certainly, I would have thought that the jumped-up member for McMahon—a failed Treasurer, a failed immigration minister—could have spent some time in some much-needed soul-searching. At some point in the past 12 months you would have thought that Labor could have found the time—just a little bit of time—to formulate some policies and to come up with some alternative ideas. Just about everything about Labor in opposition is either a vain attempt to rewrite the narrative of their time in government or an attempt to distract themselves from the smashing defeat they copped at the last election. They will not let the nation move forward because they cannot move on from their own crushing electoral defeat. They cannot move on from the poisonous in-fighting that was at the heart of their demise. After 12 months, all they can muster— Mr Brendan O'Connor: You wish! You wish! Mr McCORMACK: Well, the Australian public could wish, too, member for Gorton, because, certainly, all they ever cop from that side is endless confected outrage. The repeal of the mining tax is a case in point. It is true that we had to make some compromises, including a delay in planned increases in the rate of the superannuation guarantee. But we would not have had to do it if Labor had respected the clear mandate we were given at the last election to abolish the mining tax. We were always up-front about the need to abolish the low-income superannuation contribution scheme. We were very clear with the Australian people that Labor's failed mining tax did not raise anywhere near the revenue needed to pay for it. Even with the compromises that needed to be made, the repeal of the mining tax and associate measures will still improve the budget bottom line by around $10 billion over the current forward estimates. Now, if Labor really cared about working Australians they would not have left a legacy of debt and deficit, because leaving a country with a surplus provides jobs. Labor goes on about being the party of the workers, but how many people lost their jobs because of Labor's failed policies? We had a timely reminder of the debt and deficit legacy just last week with the release of the final budget outcome for 2013-14. Labor initially forecast a surplus of $5.4 billion for 2013, but we now know that the result for the year came in at a deficit of $48½ billion. That is a $53.9 billion difference. That is pretty close by Labor's standards—'missed it by that much'! Just that much! We are taking decisive action to address serious unresolved issues left to us by Labor. We have restored the health of the Reserve Bank's capital buffer, cleared the ridiculous backlog of unenacted tax measures and addressed a funding shortfall for the processing of unauthorised maritime arrivals. We are putting spending on a sustainable path and repairing the budget at a time when a weakening economy is continuing to put pressure on tax receipts. We are growing the economy with record investment in productive infrastructure which will create jobs. If Labor really cared about working Australians—really, genuinely cared—they would get on board with our efforts to re-energise enterprise in this country, in this nation—particularly in regional Australia, where our food, fibre and mining wealth are derived. Today, the Deputy Prime Minister launched round 1 of our $1 billion National Stronger Regions Fund. We heard in question time a list of just how much that is going to make a difference to regional areas and regional jobs. This is a fund which will deliver real money—not like the phoney money that Labor comes up with—to fix real problems in local communities, creating the right conditions to create real jobs. The fund will invest in important infrastructure projects nominated by local communities, ensuring that Australia's regions are investing in their own futures. Projects funded will have a focus on strengthening economies in Australia's most disadvantaged regions by improving their productivity, economic opportunity, employment and workforce skills. That is exactly what we need. The National Stronger Regions Fund will complement a reinvigorated Roads to Recovery program, and I know how much that has meant to the Riverina electorate. It was just announced yesterday. As the Deputy Prime Minister announced yesterday, we are making good on our commitment to double Roads to Recovery funding next year to $700 million. This will greatly assist local councils in being able to meet local construction and repair needs. Today, we also took a significant step towards a Western Sydney airport at Badgerys Creek, with the Deputy Prime Minister commencing discussions with the Sydney Airport Group. We are getting on with the job of fixing the nation. He is a busy bloke, the Deputy Prime Minister, and the fine work that he and other Nationals in government are doing makes a mockery of the claims made by those opposite that the Nationals are not sticking up for rural and regional Australia—the Nationals, and some excellent regional Liberals too, I might add. We are going to hear soon from the member for Corangamite, an outstanding representative for her electorate. Earlier today she dared other members to sign up to her petition to secure the future of the East West Link. I hope she mentions it again so that the relevant members opposite—that is, if any of them bother to turn up—have a chance to reconsider. We are also going to hear from the member for Eden-Monaro, another great local member who understands business. Mr Brendan O'Connor: Another oncer! He won't be here next term! Mr McCORMACK: He understands business. I am really looking forward to joining him next week to talk tourism with local businesses in Pambula. And we are going to hear from my good friend the member for Page. It was great to be with him in Lismore a couple of weeks ago, meeting with local businesses and talking about how to bring greater prosperity to Northern New South Wales. And we are going to hear from the member for Banks, another fine member— Mr Brendan O'Connor: He won't be here! Mr McCORMACK: You will not be here either, the way you are going. He is another fine member with a strong background in business. He is getting on with the job of advocating for his constituents in south-western Sydney. It is passionate local members such as these who understand—they actually get it—the needs of local business both big and small. Do you know what the definition of a medium-sized business is? It is a business which was a big business before Labor came into power! Do you know what the definition of a small business is? It was a medium-sized business when Labor came into power. But we are getting on with the job of getting those businesses back, firing. We are getting on with the job of producing real jobs with real money; to ensure that the National Stronger Regions Fund, that Roads to Recovery and that good local representation is going to put them back on track to make money. And by making money they will be paying more taxes. By them paying more taxes we will be able to help repay the debt and deficit that Labor left us. If Labor really cared about working Australians they would not have voted in the Senate yesterday to waste thousands of taxpayer dollars. Apparently, there are not enough issues to be dealt with in the Commonwealth sphere; the Palmer United Party and Labor think we need to go into the affairs of Queensland as well. How disgraceful! Let's be clear: we are only talking about the Queensland Liberal-National Party government, not the previous Queensland Labor administration. Oh no! No! We would not want to shine a light too brightly on Labor's record of failing to deliver for Queensland. No—we would not want to do that. I do not think the people of Queensland have forgotten that, and they will be only too happy to remind them at next year's Queensland state election. I tell you what—that is when the Queensland voters will have their say and they will not forget the years of Anna Bligh and the years of Labor misadministration. This committee will deliver money into the pockets of the committee chair, but I am not all that clear on what it does for Australian taxpayers. It is certainly not good value for money. Kevin Rudd, the former member for Griffith— Mr Ripoll: Who? Mr McCORMACK: Yes—who? You have forgotten him already! I know it is forgettable! It is certainly forgettable, member for Oxley! But he summed up his party's outlook when he said in his maiden speech that politics is all about power. That is what he said in his maiden speech to this House, that politics is all about power. Well, politics is not all about power. Politics is about people. It is about the people of Australia, and the people of Australia have elected the coalition—2013, 7 September, if you have forgotten— because we understand that the business of this place is to make a better future for all of us. That is what we were elected to do. We are getting on with the job of doing it, and those opposite would be well advised—absolutely well advised—to look at the national interest if they want to avoid being on the wrong side of history. I will just finish with this, a line from the Treasurer—and a good Treasurer he is, too. In a 25 July media release last year he said: Labor does not practice what they preach. All Labor does is use the superannuation system as their own personal ATM. They simply— Mr Brendan O'Connor: You're kidding! Mr McCORMACK: No, I am not kidding: They simply can't be trusted. Families across Australia can be sure that they will be better off under a Coalition Government. This is because the Coalition will not treat Australians families and small businesses with contempt by saying one thing and doing another. That is exactly what Labor did. For six years they said one thing and they did another. They treated the Australian public and the Australian taxpayers' purse with absolute contempt. That is why on 7 September last year they were booted out of office, as they should have been. And the Australian people voted the sensible people into the House. That is us, and we are getting on with the job of creating real jobs with real money.