Bernie Ripoll (Oxley, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

You are right—it is nonsense. That is why I am raising it—because I am trying to make a point. The member for Groom is completely right: it is nonsense. It is nonsense to attack research and science. It is nonsense to attack school funding. It is nonsense not to get behind and support these things. The facts do not bear out the jokes that these guys opposite come up with—and I think the classic one today has to be 'we've got to run faster'. Well, have a look at them. Even with skates they could not keep up!

The truth is our economy is strong. It is really strong and it is in good nick—4.9 per cent unemployment; down from 5.1 per cent. Even if you do not believe it, even if you are sceptical about the number, it is the same methodology and the same data that it has been for 30 years. It is the same data and the same methodology as it was when these guys were in government. Whatever that 4.9 per cent means, it means that unemployment went down and jobs went up. That is all it means. It means more people have got money in their pockets and they can keep the economy strong, because they will spend. They will keep buying. We have done things for small businesses. There is the $6,500 instant tax write-off, there is the $5,500 for the utes; there are things there for the economy to keep growing. It is a strong budget. If you compare it with any economy in the world, we have got inflation under control, we have got debt under control, we have got 9.6 per cent of GDP compared with every other economy on the world. Japan is on 240 per cent. I am proud of the economy we have got. (Time expired)

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