Chris Bowen (Prospect, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Financial Services, Superannuation and Corporate Law) Share this | Hansard source

I am tempted—I will not, but I am tempted—to take a point of order and point out that these are appropriations of the 2009-10 budget, not the 1999-2000 budget. The shadow Assistant Treasurer has the opportunity to ask any questions he likes about the 2009-10 budget, but I am not at liberty to answer questions about the budget that he was involved in, which was the 1999-2000 budget—which I think was the budget that introduced the GST; I think I would be correct in saying that. I am happy to confirm for the honourable member that I think that taxation of consumption is an appropriate policy setting.

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