Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Finance Minister on Deregulation) Share this | Hansard source

I will deliver an abridged version of my address, understanding that it would be most unwise to seek an extension of time beyond the commencement of the normal adjournment debate because my proposal for such an extension would go down in a screaming heap, opposed by both coalition members and my colleagues here on the government side. So I will do the very best I can in the more limited time that I have.

I observe that the member for Dunkley, the shadow small business minister, has displayed himself as the Inspector Clouseau of Australian politics. He came to the dispatch box with his magnifying glass. He could see all these conspiracies happening around him. He thought if he could dig a little further he might find under all of the detail what we were really up to with the resource super profits tax. In so doing, the member for Dunkley raised to record heights the scare campaign that has been engaged in by the coalition in relation to the resource super profits tax. Let this day be marked as the day that the coalition has said that the kiddies will not be able to get their sand in their play pits as a result of the resource super profits tax. That is what he came in here and said, as a serious point. I notice the shadow minister opposite, the member for Casey, shaking his head. I agree with him. He should shake his head at this stupid scare campaign of the member for Dunkley.

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