After 11 years in office, the Howard government has run out of ideas.

Today and yesterday the Main Committee had no government business to debate.

The Main Committee will not sit today as usual and yesterday sat only for 90 minutes of 3 minute members statements. It considered no Government legislation.

With six months to the next election the government has run out of ideas and run out of steam. Its legislative agenda has dried up.

In contrast, over the past 12 weeks Labor has announced a raft of new policies.

Labor has outlined a $4.7 billion plan to deliver a National Broadband Network to Australian households to boost productivity growth and build long-term economic prosperity once the mining boom is over.

Labor’s Education Revolution will ensure that all Australian 4 year olds will have access to play based learning; Labor will provide financial incentives for university students to study and teach maths and science; Labor will have a National Curriculum Board and we will promote shared resources for schools.

Labor’s New directions in clean coal will cut greenhouse gas emissions; Labor’s Green Car Innovation Fund will generate $2 billion in investment to secure jobs in the automotive industry and tackle climate change by manufacturing low emission vehicles in Australia and Labor will support solar energy in Australian homes.

Labor has a clear policy agenda for the future. Labor will ensure long term prosperity without throwing out fairness out the door.

It is clear the Howard Government is out of touch, out of ideas, out of legisation and out of time.

Mr ALBANESE (Grayndler) (3.19 pm) — On indulgence, I seek information from the Acting Leader of the House on the programming of business. Can the acting leader confirm that today’s only business conducted in the Main Committee was 1½ hours of members’ three-minute statements and that tomorrow the Main Committee will not sit at all because there is simply no government business? After 11 long years of government, does this demonstrate that the government is out of ideas and out of legislation? Is there no work for us to do?