Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question. The member is continuing with this assertion that somehow the borrowings of state government business enterprises are having an impact on inflation and therefore let them off the hook when it comes to seven interest rate rises in the last three years. Well, they are not going to get off the hook when it comes to their responsibility for high inflation—the highest elevated inflation in 16 years; seven interest rate rises in three years. It is absolutely essential that state governments invest in critical economic infrastructure—critical economic infrastructure such as water; critical economic infrastructure such as transport and ports. The previous government was simply—

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