Peter Costello (Higgins, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

reforms which the member for Melbourne, so voluble in his interjection, opposed. Every single major reform of the Australian economy was opposed by the member for Melbourne, an old socialist leftie who is trying to get back into this argument. He is not old, sorry; I withdraw that.

What is the position of the Australian Labor Party? Blow me down if the Australian Labor Party does not oppose benchmarking the Australian taxation system. Both the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Lilley were out yesterday whingeing and whining, opposing again, trying to hold back reform—as they have every other reform of the Australian economy. Need I remind members of the government that this was the man who promised the Australian public the roll-back of the GST. There is a word we do not hear much around here any more. It is the word that begins with ‘r’. It is the roll-back policy.

Also out there opposing yesterday was the member for Lilley. In the last election it was the member for Lilley who thought up the brilliant campaign of taking $600 off every Australian family. When the then Leader of the Opposition, Mr Latham, discovered the night before the policy release—I read from Mr Latham’s diaries:

The night before the policy release I asked Swan how we deal with the $600 annual payment. He replied, “Just say it’s not real money.”

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