Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for O’Connor, including for his enlightened observations on Aboriginal policy at the door today. The second point about the opposition’s position on this budget and why it represents a threat to Australia’s long-term economic security is what it does in terms of the inflation challenge. The Leader of the Opposition does not think that there is any inflation crisis. We have had from those opposite a statement that in fact inflation is a fairy tale, a charade, and that there is no inflation crisis whatsoever. This flies in the face of the most fundamental precepts of economic responsibility.

The third thing you can say about the opposition’s posture on this budget is the fact that they do not agree with one another. They have at least two, if not three or four, different positions on petrol tax. They are divided on the question of means testing. They are divided on the question of whether you should means test the baby bonus. They are divided on the question of who should be the leader of the Liberal Party. The member for Wentworth wants to replace the member who is currently the leader of the Liberal Party. Then we have the member for Higgins, who thinks he might want to replace the member for Wentworth as the prospective leader of the Liberal Party. Then there is the member for Mayo, who may want to replace the member for Wentworth as shadow Treasurer before becoming the leader of the Liberal Party. We have a Liberal Party which is terminally divided. I say this to those opposite: there is a challenge of responsible economic management here.

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