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

The OECD has a recommendation in relation to the Australian economy and how economic policy should be adopted. The model which the government will not be following is the Venezuelan model of Hugo Chavez, as recommended by the member for Denison. He tells you how you can get down to the University of Tasmania and discuss:

... the challenges and goals for the Bolivarian Revolution that is improving the quality of life of millions of poor, and empowering them to take control of their society and build an alternative system to the US Empire ...

That is just one of the Labor Party members, but let me assure the member for Gellibrand that this will go on day after day because there are so many of the ALP who admire Hugo. They admire all of the shortages in the Venezuelan economy. They regard themselves as supporters of the Bolivarian Revolution—Bolivarian socialism.

The Leader of the Opposition may be a Christian socialist by his own admission, but many of his backbench are Bolivarian socialists—and we are entitled to know how much influence they will have over economic policy in relation to a future Labor government. We are entitled to know where this motley, ragtag left-wing crew would take this country if they ever got their hands on the levers of power and brought the Bolivarian dictator’s ideas for inspiration to Australia.

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