Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I was, of course, very conscious when I used the word 'jobs' that the opposition would jeer. They just do not care. I knew when I used the word 'opportunity' the opposition would jeer. They just do not care. And I knew when I used the words 'strong economy' the opposition would jeer, because they do not understand the importance of a strong economy to this nation's future. So that is exactly what I expected them to do, because in the modern age—and it does pain me to say it because it has not been true of the Liberal and National parties in the past—the only role that they have is to try and wreck, destroy and create fear. They have no policies or plans for the nation's future.

Let's just start with the budget and a strong economy. Nothing matters to working families more than keeping the economy strong. The transition our economy is in now requires bringing the budget back to surplus. The Treasurer, working with other members of the economic team, has taken the decisions to get that done. Meanwhile, over there on the opposition front bench, we have had no budget reply and no plan to return the budget to surplus, because they do not have the intellectual capacity or desire to do something in the nation's interest. This week we have had to watch the absolute shambles of the shadow Treasurer blaming his poor budget reply on the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Goldstein.

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