Today marks two years since Tony Abbott became Prime Minister.

 

For two years, the Abbott Government has been mired in lies, dysfunction and infighting.

 

While Tony Abbott and his Ministers have been busy fighting for their own jobs, Australian families have paid the price.

 

For the first time in over 20 years, more than 800,000 Australians are out of work, with unemployment increasing from 5.7 per cent to 6.3 per cent now.

 

Annual economic growth has been below trend in every quarter under this Government.

 

Families are suffering from cuts of over $6,000 a year and cost of living pressures are increasing.

 

Sick Australians are paying a GP tax by stealth and schools and hospitals have been cut by $80 billion.

 

Students are facing the prospect of $100,000 university degrees and a lifetime of debt.

 

Australians are paying more tax than any time since the Howard Government - and this is set to increase as Mr Abbott plans to jack up the GST.

 

The Budget deficit doubled in the last 12 months.

 

And at every turn the Liberals have betrayed Australian jobs, from manufacturing to defence and renewable energy.

 

Instead of dealing with the real issues facing Australia, Mr Abbott and his Ministers have spent the last two years awarding a Knighthood to Prince Philip, defending the ‘right to be a bigot’, talking-down the NDIS, indulging in bizarre attacks on windfarms and the ABC, leaking from Cabinet and briefing journalists about their colleagues’ woeful performances.

 

Over the past two years, this has been a government completely and utterly obsessed with itself.

 

Australians have learned over the past two years that Tony Abbott is stuck in the past with no plan for the future, just a plan to keep his job.  Australians know Mr Abbott is holding Australia back - and he’ll never change.

 

Unlike the Liberals, Labor has a vision for the future: to rebuild our economy and create new jobs that will last into the future.

 

MONDAY, 7 SEPTEMBER 2015

 

MEDIA CONTACT: LEADER’S OFFICE MEDIA UNIT – 02 6277 4053