Liberal Democrat senator releases election campaign video apologising to taxpayers for ‘mistreatment’ by government

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Liberal Democrat senator David Leyonhjelm has parodied Kevin Rudd’s historic stolen generations apology speech in an election video on tax and spending policy.

On 13 February 2008 the former prime minister apologised for the “hurt, pain and suffering” the parliament had caused Indigenous people.

On Monday Leyonhjelm released a three-minute election video apologising to Australian taxpayers for the “needless pain, suffering and hurt” caused by government taxes and regulation.

Reflections on the apology: Kevin Rudd in conversation with Stan Grant Read more

“At long last we acknowledge the mistreatment of Australian taxpayers, amongst the longest suffering peoples on this land,” he says.

“We reflect, in particular, on the systematic punishment meted out to wealth creators and of the relentless grab of their hard-earned money.

“On behalf of my fellow legislators, past and present, I apologise for the laws and policies of successive Coalition and Labor governments that have inflicted a profound loss of wealth on its citizens and deprived them of their liberties.”

Leyonhjelm asks for a minute to reflect on how money had been wasted on middle-class welfare, 2 million public servants and failed Aboriginal welfare spending.

“The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia’s history by righting the wrongs of the past,” the NSW senator said.

The LDP, represented in parliament only by Leyonhjelm, is campaigning for a 20% flat tax on income and companies, abolition of import tariffs and the scrapping of taxes on alcohol, tobacco and fuel.