Daryl Melham (Banks, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

They are wounded because they lost the last election. I am not particularly worried about the polls because the body language of a lot of people in the opposition is not that of people who think they are going to win the next election—but that is a matter for the punters to decide. I will say that if you were a shareholder and your shares relied on the result of an election that even on the current polls will be tight, then it would be pretty dumb if your directors relied on an election to sort out the problem rather than on negotiation with the government. That is jeopardising shareholders’ money, if you ask me. That is playing games with shareholders, if you ask me. That is playing games with good public policy.

I have great pleasure in rising to support this budget. I think it is a good budget. It is a budget that exposes the opposition, because I am still looking for something positive from them. All I have heard in two-and-a-bit years is negative, negative, negative. They are a bunch of knockers. What do they stand for? We will soon see. This budget stands for a better Australia and I commend it to the House. (Time expired)

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