David Bradbury (Lindsay, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer ) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I am pleased to be able to respond to the question in relation to this government's strong economic record. We are returning the budget to surplus and we will be delivering a surplus of $1.5 billion—that is what we forecast—and it will be a surplus that will increase over time across the forward estimates. That is because we are determined to manage this economy in the interests of working Australians.

It is always good to receive a question about the strength of the Australian economy from those opposite. You do not often hear them come into this place and talk about how strong the economy is. When they are out there, like the member for North Sydney talking to an international audience on Bloomberg, they will tell you how strong the economy is, or like the Leader of the Opposition when they are over in the UK speaking to an international audience, they want to claim their piece of the credit, but when it comes to coming into this place and acknowledging the realities of a strong economy, it is a different story. We have taken the responsible economic decisions to ensure that we are returning the budget to surplus.

Mr Simpkins interjecting—

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