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

As I said in answer to the last question, families’ positions have improved significantly through the improvement of the family tax benefit system, job opportunities and real wages. I do not think that can be disputed. I do not think it can be disputed that families today, through the introduction of family tax benefit parts A and B, are better off than they were in 1996. I do not think this can be disputed either—that if Labor had won the last election they would be worse off today than they are now. I do love getting questions from the member for Lilley because it was the member for Lilley who thought up the idea of docking every family $600 a year in family tax benefit. When the member for Werriwa went to him and asked, ‘How do we explain docking families $600 of their family tax benefit?’ the member for Lilley advised him, ‘Tell ’em it’s not real; tell ’em it ain’t so, Joe. That $600 that goes into their bank accounts just does not exist.’ Coming, as he does, from the background of state secretary of the ALP in Queensland where he specialised in dirty tricks as part of his campaign armoury—

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