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

Yesterday we had some sloppy behaviour from the shadow Treasurer. He came into the House, proving that he had not done his homework, and made an assertion that we needed to run surpluses of two per cent for eight years. He then moved off that in subsequent questions and he cited a table in the budget papers which actually proved that assertion wrong. The fact is that we do not have to run budget surpluses of that order for eight years. What we do have to run are budget surpluses around one per cent or a little higher through that period, and that is entirely achievable.

When it comes to the provision of information, this government has provided more information than those on the other side ever considered providing at any stage. We are absolutely serious about implementing our medium-term fiscal strategy. Those opposite are acutely embarrassed because they do not have one. So they come in here and cast doubt on growth forecasts and somehow imply that the information is suspect, because they want to run a scare campaign on deficits and borrowing. They are acutely embarrassed, because they know that the Australian people want this government to put in place economic stimulus to support jobs in our community.

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