Jamie Briggs (Mayo, Liberal Party, Chairman of the Scrutiny of Government Waste Committee) Share this | Hansard source

Really? You were elected on a carbon tax? Well, we will see if you get re-elected on the carbon tax, shall we?

We have seen this week another budget being delivered with bigger deficits, more debt, a higher credit limit for the Australian credit card by a government that just does not understand the people of Victor Harbour, does not understand the people of Strathalbyn, does not understand the people of Mount Barker or the people of McLaren Vale. It will not explain to the people of McLaren Vale why its rates are going up by 6.35 per cent. It is the carbon tax which is doing it. That is the elephant in the room of this budget. That will do so much damage to the regional communities, to the industries which are struggling under the pressures of the structural changes we are seeing in our economy—through the change in the dollar exchange rate and the change we have seen through the challenges in the retail environment.

We are not seeing any of these plans answered in this budget. Instead, what we see is more waste, more wasteful spending, more cash splashes. We know how successful the last cash splash was, particularly for dead people, for animals, people living overseas and in jail! They did very well out of the last cash splash and I am sure this government will again deliver more cash splash, more sugar hits to try to boost its electoral prospects. But the fact of the matter is that the Australian people have seen through it. They have seen through this government and they have seen through the fibs about carbon taxes. They have seen through the years of inaction on roads like Pennant Hills Road, which my colleague has so vigorously campaigned for over such a long period of time. They have seen through the years of not seeing the additional interchange at Mount Barker being delivered, even though their state mates have opened up far more land for housing. There is no additional infrastructure; typical of the Labor Party. There is no plan, just open up the land, do the deal with the developers; no plan for infrastructure. There is no funding in this budget to build an additional interchange. It is a promise we made at the last election and it is a commitment that I know the Leader of the of the National Party will support at the next election as well.

This is a bad budget. This carbon tax has got to go. We will get rid of it. What you will hear tonight from the alternative Prime Minister of Australia is a real economic plan to make our country stronger, which will lift the regions and give them the best hope of taking advantage of the unique opportunity we have in this century.

See this speech in context