House debates

Wednesday, 29 October 2014

Statements by Members

Melbourne Cup

1:49 pm

Photo of Craig KellyCraig Kelly (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

Next Tuesday is the Melbourne Cup, the race that stops the nation, and many Australians will have their one and only bet for the year. Some will study the form, others will look for their favourite number or colours and others will have an omen bet. They might take a lead from some contemporary event that is related to a horse's name. This year there are six outstanding omen bets I can recommend.

First there is the P Moody trained Wish Come True. It certainly was a wish come true for Australian consumers, who are enjoying since the repeal of the carbon tax the biggest fall in electricity prices in our nation's history. Second there is Willing Foe from the Godolphin stable. Given the internal ruckus over the ALP leadership, the opposition leader certainly has a willing foe with the internal campaign to undermine him. Third is Like a Carousel, which is carrying just 50 kilos. We see Labor going round and around like a carousel continuing to advocate for the same failed policies on border protection. Fourth is the lightly raced galloper Au Revoir. Today it is spring repeal day with red tape being slashed, so it is au revoir, goodbye, farewell, to nearly 7,200 pages of unnecessary legislation and regulation. Fifthly is the group 1 winner My Ambivalent because 'ambivalence' accurately sums up the opposition leader's attitude to any credible economic policy. Finally is the four-year-old bay gelding Big Memory. The Australian public will have a big memory because it is going to take decades and decades to pay off the previous Labor government's debt.