I second the motion. Thank you to the shadow minister and member for Brand for her leadership on this issue, alongside every single Labor member of the opposition who has been standing up for over 800,000 Australian households which have been ripped off by the loan sharks in this country—the member for Lalor, the Shadow Treasurer, the member for Mayo, the member for Indi and the Leader of the Opposition. It has been this side of the chamber and the crossbench that have been standing up for vulnerable Australians. We know, just like the banking royal commission and just like every other important issue, it has been this side of the chamber under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition, Bill Shorten, who have taken the ability to act. We saw last week, just like throughout the entire 45th Parliament, a government more interested in fighting amongst themselves, shutting down this parliament, turning it into a part-time parliament than dealing with the issues of this nation.

I want to go through a couple of quick figures which mean something to this bill today. The first is seven—the potential seven days we have left of this term of parliament to take action. The second is, as the member for Brand said, 1,291 days—this is the number of days it has been passed since the government announced a review into the out-of-control payday loan sector. The third is 24—the number of recommendations from the report into small amount credit contractors and consumer leases which the government proudly announced they supported and would take action on. But here we are with a handful of sitting days left before this government runs out of puff, knowing that 800,000 Australians are continuing to be ripped off by the loan sharks. What's worse is those opposite don't care. They are not interested in the issues facing working and average Australians.

After writing to the Prime Minister last year asking him to honour the former Prime Minister's words in writing to me, saying that this bill would be introduced, I got a weak response from the assistant minister to the Prime Minister saying it was outsourced to the part-time Assistant Treasurer. We know that the Assistant Treasurer and member for Fadden is on record saying that we will wait until the royal commission and then we will take action. Well, where is it? Where is the reform? Where is the protection for vulnerable Australians? It is not good enough. We are sick to the back teeth. I ask members of the government: go meet with the charity and community sectors, listen to the stories of people who have been ripped off day in, day out.

I'm urging the government to act on this issue. We have been waiting for years for something to be done. Sadly, I'm not going to hold my breath, because, when it comes to protecting those who need it, those opposite are found wanting, time and again. I call on the government: bring on the debate today, stand up for those people, bring the vote to this parliament and let the Australian people have a vote on this issue. Stop being worried about losing votes on the floor of the parliament and start acting for the people of Australia. We will not let this issue go. We will keep standing up for frail and vulnerable Australians. (Time expired)

Debate adjourned.