Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am pleased to rise to speak on the Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (2014 Budget Measures No. 6) Bill 2014. Social security has been getting a pretty bad rap from the coalition. Trying to attack ordinary Australians who have fallen on hard times, coming after ordinary Australians, is just an absolute disgrace. There is nothing more disgraceful in politics than to watch the coalition attack, through its budget process, the proud history of social security in this country. This is a coalition that is ripping away at the heart of the protections for ordinary people in this country. This is a coalition that does not care about the pensioners. This is a coalition that does not care about decent rights for people in this country. This is a coalition that will pay a heavy price for the lies and the deceit that it has foisted upon this country. This is a coalition that would take away pension rights in this country, that would force people to work until they were 70—to work till they drop.

This is a coalition that is a reprehensible mob. They do not care anything about the future and the future of their electorates. They only care about looking after the people who put the money in their back pockets and hand it over to the coalition for their elections. The people who hand over the brown paper bags in the front of their Bentleys are the people the coalition look after. You only have to look at the legislation that has been brought up in this place. It is legislation that is all about looking after the miners, looking after the banks, looking after big business and screwing ordinary working people in this country. What a shameful mob you are—up there every day after ordinary working people's rights, after the pensions of Australians. That is what you are about—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cameron, to the chair; not across the chamber.

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I apologise, Mr President.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And, Senator Cameron, time has now expired for your contribution. It being 2 pm, we move to questions without notice.