Andrew Robb (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Chairman of the Coalition Policy Development Committee) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2012-2013 and related bills. This federal budget has sunk like a stone. The experience in my electorate office and elsewhere, from what I gather in discussions with so many of my colleagues, is that there is virtually no contact—no phone calls, no attempt to get detail. This is most unusual irrespective of how budgets are received or who delivers the budget on either side of the chamber. You would normally expect to get a reasonable number of calls coming to your office either to complain or to congratulate or, at the very least, to seek details of different programs. This year, silence—because this budget has sunk like a stone. People have stopped listening to this government. They have no confidence that anyone is running the show. They have no confidence in this Treasurer and his ability to bring down a budget that is in any way believable or competent.

Australians simply do not find this budget believable. Not more than 18 months ago they heard the first forecast of $12 billion for this budget's deficit. Then, in the budget last year, they heard a forecast of $23 billion. Then, toward the end of last year in November's mid-year economic statement, they heard that the budget deficit would be $37 billion. This time around, when the budget was actually given, they hear that it is $44 billion—at a time when the year still had a couple of months to go. No wonder people do not find this budget believable. No wonder they have taken absolutely no notice of what has been said by the Treasurer and the government. Why would they believe a surplus forecast? Why would they believe in a $26 billion turnaround? They have heard the spin before, again and again, and we have just heard it again from the member for Oxley—apart from the last four minutes on IBD and Crohn's disease.

People have been bludgeoned into reality by the outcomes, not the spin. They have been disheartened. They have been let down so often. They are sick of it—the cute words, the explanations, the endless forecasts which are never delivered. We hear this Treasurer bemoaning the fact that he has had to deal with a $150 billion write-down in the budget, as though someone came along and put an extra burden on him. But they were his forecasts from previous budgets that were overstated—everyone said they were overstated, these pollyanna forecasts from previous budgets. Then he comes in here with shoulders stooped, complaining of the fact that he has got to write down $150 billion. Well, poor Wayne! Poor Treasurer! These are things that he forecast and then, when the forecasts were not realised, he gets it on one side—he helps sell a budget with a shonky forecast—and then he gets it on the other side, by saying that he had to deal with the write-down of $150 billion of moneys that were not realised.

This is just an example of the type of spin that everyone has to put up with. It is the type of spin that has made people so cynical, so distrustful and so confused, and so upset about the way in which this government is running the affairs of state. It is why there is a crisis of confidence in this country. It is why people are saving at a level they have never saved at before—12 per cent for the last 12 months. That is nearly $90 billion not spent that normally would be spent. No wonder retail is on its knees. There is all of the money that is sitting on balance sheets of companies not being invested. Go out and talk to them, and they all say, 'Why would I invest? I've got no idea who's running this show. Is there anyone up there who's got any ideas?'

Mr Sidebottom interjecting—

Madam Deputy Speaker, do I have to put up with this nonsense from the other side here?

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