Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

That is what he had to say in London. Yet here he comes and talks down the economy, when all the economic fundamentals show that this government has a record we can be proud of. Compared to the former government, taxes, interest rates, unemployment and inflation are today all lower—and they raise the issue of the assessments overseas—along with a AAA credit rating from all three of the world's leading ratings agencies for the first time ever. It is no wonder I have lost a bet in our tactics room because this morning what I said around the room in the Prime Minister's office was that today the Leader of the Opposition will not come back and move a suspension because they are onto him and his destructive negativity. Today they will try to put forward a policy argument, which is why we should not suspend standing orders. They are going to suspend standing orders, when their MPI has been put in by the shadow Treasurer about the same issue. So they are knocking off the MPI debate, moving it forward, in order to have the same debate twice. This morning the Treasurer was right. The Treasurer said to me, 'No, he can't help himself; he'll go down the destructive, negative road.' What we have seen today is just that.

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