Scott Buchholz (Wright, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

And the Americans. I am glad you raised that. What is the point of comparing yourself to the slowest runner in the race? We have heard a lot about the Asian century, so let us compare ourselves to those economies. Greece, Spain, Portugal and Italy are not our competitors. We do not trade with them. The only reason to compare ourselves with them is that it makes us look good. Now that Tiger Woods has gone off the boil, you do not think that he is suddenly comparing himself with guys on the feeder circuit. No, he still compares himself with the elite players so that he can lift himself up. That is what people do when they want to improve.

This government is taking the approach with economic rationalism that it is fine to wake up in the morning and drink a tallie of beer because other nations are waking up in the morning and drinking a bottle of scotch. Both of them are wrong. The trajectory levels of debt cannot be sustained. They are at eight per cent at the moment. The real question has to go to curbing expenditure. The simple fact of the matter is that Labor's track record on the economy is appalling. Just have a look at its current deficit estimates.

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