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

I withdraw, but what I do not withdraw is the fact that Leader of the Opposition slept through our response to the global financial crisis. This is the bloke whose former employer said was an economic illiterate. He is asking the Australian people to trust him with their finances.

Let us have a look at what some other third parties might have said about the strength of the Australian economy. Who was it that said:

When the current prime minister and the treasurer and others tell you that the Australian economy is doing better than most—they are right.

From which oracle did these words of wisdom, these pearls of wisdom, emanate? None other than the former member for Bennelong, the former Liberal Prime Minister, John Howard.

Silence—absolute silence. He still carries some authority and some weight—and I know the member for Higgins in her former job no doubt spent half of her time trying to white-ant him in pursuit of her former employer's aspirations. Notwithstanding that, whenever they are in need of injecting a little credibility into their argument, they have got a few strategies. I spoke in question time the other day about the little pamphlet that the Leader of the Opposition wheels out. He stands in front of the camera and positions this little pamphlet under his chin. It is like a bib—and he needs a bib because of the rubbish that spews out on occasions. There he is with his little pamphlet under his chin. That is one of his attempts to generate a little credibility.

When they are really pushed and really desperate, what they say is: 'We hark back to the great record of the Howard government.' We do not want to go too far back, because then you might have to acknowledge the Howard deficit that was left behind in 1983, the Howard deficit that was left behind for Labor to come in and clean up. If you assume that these people in 1983—

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