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

The measures the government has adopted through its national economic stimulus strategy and nation building for recovery—supporting jobs and business and apprenticeships today by investing in the nation building infrastructure we need for tomorrow—are helping this economy recover, given that we have enormous challenges bearing down upon us from the global economic recession.

This is the worst recession this country has seen in three-quarters of a century because of what is happening with the simultaneous downturn in economies right across the world. The government’s strategy is clear: nation building for recovery. We intend to build the economy up. I appeal to those opposite, both in this question time and beyond, to change their tone and to engage in some positive language—not simply to go negative all the time and talk the Australian economy down, because the Australian people expect and believe better of them and this parliament.

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