MARK DREYFUS MP

It is right that the voice of youth be heard, and that we support such initiatives promoted by groups like UN Youth. I congratulate Laura on her outstanding achievement, and wish her every success in her role as the 2014 Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations. Without doubt, the contribution made to the community by young people like Laura will help build a better Australia and a more harmonious and just world.

What we are seeing here today is that the party of Work Choices is back in government. They cannot wait to reintroduce the harsh regime of Work Choices, and this is the first taste we are seeing of it. 

It is simply not good enough for the new government to blindly pursue an ideological agenda without reference to some actual societal problem, without reference to some actual concern or some actual wrongdoing that is occurring that requires this drastic increase in the level of regulation.

Sadly, this is yet another example of a government that is committed to secrecy and committed to furthering the belligerent rhetoric that we have become used to in the area of asylum-seeker policy from this government.

We are seeing here, in this first piece of environmental legislation from the new coalition government at the federal level, a taking away of protections of the environment.

It is an honour to have been re-elected for a third time to represent the people in my electorate of Isaacs. I thank them for their support and their trust. Today I will talk about three things. The first is Labor's economic record.

As well as responding to local emergencies, our volunteers give their time to assist with emergencies in other locations around Victoria, including at the Ash Wednesday and Black Saturday bushfires, and sometimes interstate.

This assistance is an immediate one-off payment to Australians affected by natural disasters at the time they need it most. It can be used to cover the cost of accommodation, personal items and urgent medications - exactly the kinds of expenses victims of bushfires need to meet when they are isolated from their homes in an emergency situation.

What Mr Abbott is intent on doing here is taking our nation backwards.

I thank my local constituents who continue to advocate for the release of peaceful human rights and democracy campaigners in Vietnam and around the world.