Lindsay Tanner (Melbourne, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Robertson for her question. The government is committed to delivering long-term sustainable growth for Australia. In order to do that, the government has set out a very clear plan to pursue that objective, which is focused on the development of long-term investment in infrastructure through the three big infrastructure funds and on establishing major projects, such as the national broadband network; the education revolution; taking action on climate change and water, which is long overdue; improving productivity in our workplaces and businesses through deregulation and regulatory reform; and, the most important element of all, maintaining a strong budget surplus.

The opposition’s response to the government’s plan has been totally incoherent. The opposition tell us that they support lower taxes and, apart from lower taxes for Ferrari buyers and Porsche buyers, their track record suggests the opposite because they have just defeated in the Senate a reform measure with respect to the Medicare levy surcharge that would have delivered substantial tax relief to thousands upon thousands of middle-income families in Australia. They say they want to spend up big on pensioners, and yet they have defeated the government’s initiatives in the Senate with respect to dental services for low-income earners and pensioners. So they did not seem to really care very much about pensioners there. While they are suggesting the government should spend up big helping pensioners, at the same time they are endeavouring to make it much harder for the government to do that by blowing giant holes in the surplus. And they claim to be the party of responsible economic management! They are deliberately spreading fear, deliberately seeking to talk up the risks to the Australian economy by suggesting that Medibank Private and private health insurers are in financial difficulties, thereby undermining confidence amongst investors and consumers, with significant potential negative impacts for the economy into the medium term.

A couple of days ago I confessed that I was feeling a bit nostalgic about the absence of the former Leader of the Opposition, the member for Bradfield. I am sad to say the feeling is getting worse. There has to be some treatment I can get for this condition. It is getting worse.

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