Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says Labor is a party of nation builders that has a proud history of reform.
Mr Rudd was commenting on a remark by Opposition Leader Tony Abbott that Australia shouldn’t get “ideas above our station” when it came to global efforts to resolve the Syrian conflict.
“Now I know Mr Abbott was talking about a position on Syria,” Mr Rudd told the National Press Club in Canberra on Thursday.
“But I think that phrase … is of itself deeply symptomatic of a conservative view of Australia’s future more generally.”
Mr Rudd said Labor governments had delivered big reforms on financial markets, superannuation, disability care, education, health and climate change.
“We had ideas beyond our station,” he said.
“As prime minister of Australia, I am proud of each and every one.
“We are the nation builders – the ones who build the house up.”
Mr Rudd said the current Labor government had presided over five and a half years of positive economic growth, despite the worst global economic conditions since the Great Depression.
“We inherited an economy around $ 1 trillion in size, we now have a $ 1.5 trillion economy,” he said.
But the nation couldn’t rest on its laurels because global economic circumstances were changing.
“We cannot afford to simply have all our eggs in one basket for the future and we must diversify our economic base,” he said.
Labor would do this, if it was returned on Saturday.
Mr Rudd attacked the opposition for delaying the release of its final election policy costings until two days before the poll.
“With the media blackout now in force, Mr Abbott has still failed to release a comprehensive, detailed, independently verifiable account of all of his cuts,” he said.
“The Australian people are left completely in the dark on how his massive cuts will hurt their jobs, hurt the economy and even risk the possibility of a recession.”
A coalition government would transfer much of the economic burden from big companies to working families, Mr Rudd warned.
Living costs would rise to pay for tax cuts to big mining companies and Mr Abbott’s “unfair” paid parental leave scheme, while wages, penalty rates and overtime arrangements would be cut.
“Based on their history, I genuinely fear for what the Liberals would do in office,” he added.
“So if after 20 years in parliament, four years as leader of the opposition and a five-week election campaign you still have doubts about what Mr Abbott would do to you, your jobs and to Australia – then don’t vote for him.”
Mr Rudd wouldn’t be drawn on his future should he lose the election, saying he was focused on campaigning until the final ballot is cast.
The judge at the end of the day would be the Australian people, and he would accept their verdict, he said.
“They work out fact from fiction,” he said. “I will settle with great contentment with their conclusion.”
Mr Rudd was also asked about his intentions for his seat of Griffith.
“My intention is to continue to serve my local people as their member of parliament. My intention equally is to serve them as their prime minister.”
Mr Rudd said he was open to reforming the electoral system and one idea could be setting a funding cap for election campaigns.
“Australians are beginning to get sick and tired of an electoral system which enables anyone … to effectively buy an election by virtue of being able to buy a huge amount of television advertising,” he said, pointing to the mining industry’s opposition to Labor’s mining tax.
“Therefore, it follows that they may have an interest in ensuring that our conservative friends get elected.”
Mr Rudd is now expected to head to Sydney ahead of the final day of campaigning before Saturday’s election.
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