Senator REYNOLDS (Western Australia) (16:09): When I first read today’s MPI talking about broken promises, slogans, dysfunction and division, I actually thought that the opposition were putting up an MPI about themselves. So I am delighted to talk about the achievements of the first two years of the Abbott government. I am a very proud member of this government and the governance team. Despite what those opposite have said, what we are delivering is good government. A good government is one that delivers in that national interest and takes the tough decisions that are needed. This government has achieved a lot over the first two years. I could not possibly list them all, so I have just gone through—and it did not take me any time at all—and found the first top 50 achievements and decisions of this government. We have not just talked about it, we have not had endless inquiries, we have not deferred things off past the forward estimates, we have not prepared complex programs on the back of a coaster; we have done things properly and we have done a lot in this country.

 

What did we inherit? I went back and had a quick look at what we inherited and what Labor’s idea of a good government is. Labor’s idea, clearly, of a good government is record deficits, massive debt, the world’s biggest carbon tax, which actually did not work; many more people unemployed; NBN project delays and cost blowouts; cost of living on the increase; billions of dollars of taxpayer money wasted on pink batts and school halls; grocery watches and fuel choices—the debacles go on and on. Illegal boat arrivals were out of control; they had lost control of our borders. Education standards slipped significantly under Labor, and health services got more expensive. To add insult to injury—to all of that—despite their absolute promise, defence spending was gutted. That is the standard that we heard Senator Ludwig refer to just then. That is what Labor think is good government.

 

Let me go through a few of the achievements of this government in two very short years. First, on the economy, we abolished the carbon tax, saving Australian families at least $550 a year and taking a yoke off small business and large business, which ultimately creates more jobs. That is No. 1. No. 2: we abolished the minerals resource rent tax, which again, I know from my own state, would have been an absolute disaster. We have conducted a commission of audit, which conducted the most comprehensive review of government spending in a generation to highlight waste and areas of unsustainable spending, which we are now addressing for the first time in history. Those opposite did not do that. We are stopping Labor’s proposed bank deposits tax which, again, was regressive, unnecessary and very punitive. No. 5: despite the rhetoric from those opposite, labour force participation is increasing—to the point where we have now created over 335,000 jobs. We have actually created 335,000 jobs, and the participation rate—particularly amongst women, which is fabulous—is increasing. There is more to be done but I reckon that in two years that is good government. Those are a few things on the economy.

 

What have we done for Australian business and trade in two short years? Unlike those opposite, who did not conclude any free trade agreements, in just over the first 12 months we finalised three free trade agreements with major trading partners covering over 50 per cent of our exports—Korea, Japan and China—and we are currently in negotiation with India for a fourth. That is an enormous achievement. That is what good government looks like: looking towards the economy of the future and where we can create and sustain jobs into the future. We have cut tax for small business. That is No. 7—I am only up to seven so far of 50. This is a government which has been consistently open for business, delivering the biggest tax cut in history for small business. That is what good government looks like. We have introduced the instant asset write-off for small business, which means that all small businesses can now invest for jobs and for growth for their future. We have introduced the red tape reduction programme with repeal days. So far, what have we done? We have cut $2.45 billion in red tape for business. This has exceeded the red-tape reduction target by nearly half a billion dollars over two years. We have exceeded what our already ambitious targets were two years ago. Most importantly, for jobs in the future, we have granted over $1 trillion worth of major project environmental approvals so that businesses can get on with creating prosperity, future wealth and, critically, jobs. That is only No. 10—and that is only in two years.

 

What else have we done in infrastructure? We have invested heavily in infrastructure. We have not just talked about it. We have not just made promises about new roads and other major infrastructure. We have invested. We have handed down a $50 billion infrastructure package, which is the single largest infrastructure package in Australia’s history. That in itself is good government, and that is amazing progress in two years. What else have we done? We have taken another really tough decision on a second airport for Sydney at Badgerys Creek, something that the previous government was completely incapable of doing. Why? Because it was a bit of a tough decision. At No. 13 of my top 50 achievements of this government is that we are building the roads of the future.

 

On border protection, we have stopped the boats. Fifty thousand people came here under the previous government. They lost control of the borders. Twelve hundred people died under the Labor and Greens policies which they supported in government. Not a single person has died since we stopped the boats. We have created the Border Force, which is a wonderful improvement for the protection of our country’s borders. We are combatting home-grown extremism. We are establishing a victims of terrorism compensation scheme. We have reintroduced temporary protection visas. Again, these are just a few of our many achievements in border protection and national security.

 

What did the previous government do on the environment apart from introducing a carbon tax which, as we have seen, did not even work? We are taking direct action. We are planting trees. We are looking after the environment. We have thousands of people across the country working on the environment.

 

Senator Carol Brown interjecting—

 

Senator REYNOLDS: You may laugh, but ‘direct action’ means just that. We are not just talking about protecting the environment; we are getting out and protecting the environment. Not only are we planting trees and rehabilitating saline farmlands; we are protecting the Great Barrier Reef. We are doing all of that and still cutting carbon emissions by 26 to 28 per cent by 2030. We are not just talking about it; we are doing it.

 

Our achievements in education are numerous, but the thing I am particularly proud of, as is the foreign minister, is the New Colombo Plan. What have we done in two short years? By the end of 2016 over 10,000 Australian students will have studied in the Asia-Pacific region. That was not done by those who talk about education over on the other side. It was done by this side, by the government.

 

Defence is something that I am extremely passionate about, particularly as I had to suffer through the broken promises working up at Russell offices when we were promised that there would be no funding cuts. The other side said, ‘If you make the Strategic Reform Program reforms, you will get the money back.’ Guess what? It was another broken promise by those opposite. The legacy is going to take at least a decade to fix.

 

The government has conducted the First principles review of Defence, which has universal support and is now being implemented. We have commissioned a white paper, which is the most comprehensive in living memory. It is the first one, unlike those from those opposite, that is fully costed. It will be absolutely fully costed, including the force structure review. Again, this is something those opposite were completely incapable of doing. In my book, that is good government.

 

We have initiated a competitive evaluation process for Australia’s Future Submarine program. We have three potential bidders in the process that is now underway. The previous government did not commission a single vessel in six years. In six years they did not commission a single vessel, which has resulted in the valley of death that we have been talking about. This government has funded it and we are now making it a reality. We have also brought forward—and funded—the Future Frigates program by three years. Those opposite did nothing. We are. We have also brought forward the Pacific patrol boat tenders. We are also starting to remediate the issues caused by those opposite in the air warfare destroyer program to make sure that it can be delivered. We have invested in the joint strike fighter. We have also, wonderfully, reinstated the ADF gap year program.

 

That is 32 actual delivered achievements of this government. What is No. 33? For regional and northern Australia, we have delivered the White paper on developing northern Australia, which we know will result in a complete transformation of the society, future jobs and growth of our north. We have committed to funding northern Australia through $5 billion of investment in the region. We have implemented a comprehensive drought relief package. We have released the agricultural competitiveness white paper. We have also recommenced the live export of sheep, cattle and goats to Bahrain— (Time expired)