Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

In the form of the question the Leader of the Opposition once again verifies—in case there was any doubt—that he doesn't know anything about economics and he doesn't know anything about the government's budget. He is following the shadow Treasurer into error here. It was the shadow Treasurer who first started trying to retail these figures, where he put together apples and oranges and pretended they were the same thing. It is nonsense when it comes out of the mouth of the shadow Treasurer and it is nonsense when it comes out of the mouth of the Leader of the Opposition.

I would refer the Leader of the Opposition to the fact that, as a percentage of GDP, tax is lower under this government than it was under the Howard government—that is a fact. Of course we know that the Leader of the Opposition does not to like to confront facts which do not reinforce his prejudices—but that is a fact.

I would also remind the Leader of the Opposition of another fact he frequently chooses to forget. The world has confronted the biggest economic crisis since the Great Depression. That is a fact. It cannot be denied—

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