Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

First of all, I could refer the member to the minute from the AOFM. He should take the time to read it in full.

Mr Hockey interjecting—

I am happy to table it; it is not a problem at all. This is a very serious issue and it is not an issue with which the opposition should be playing politics, and they know it. The fact is that we will be within the debt cap at year's end in all future years, but the AOFM have said very clearly that they would like a buffer, and that is why we are providing it. They have said this is the best way to achieve the objectives of our program. This is just very typical of the lengths to which the opposition will go to talk down our economy and to exaggerate and run scare campaigns about matters that ought to be the subject of bipartisan political agreement in this House. They really should not. These matters are far too important for the opposition to be playing the sorts of politics that they are playing. So I would refer them to the minute from the AOFM. They should take it seriously and they should desist from this sort of behaviour.

See this speech in context