Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Treasurer. I refer the Treasurer to the fact that under the previous coalition government, Labor’s $96 billion of government debt was paid off and the current government was left an additional $45 billion in net assets—a $141 billion improvement in the government’s accounts between 1996 and this year. Will the Treasurer confirm that, if the Labor Party’s $96 billion of debt had not been paid off, taxpayers would now be funding $8.6 billion in interest payments every year from the budget?

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