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

Thanks, Mr Deputy Speaker. I know it hurts. It hurts her in particular, because she contributed to the office of the former Treasurer, the man who writes in the Telegraph to tell us how wonderful he was but never, ever received a gong. I will tell you what he did not receive. Forget about the gongs. We are not here for the gongs—even though I might add that there were two Labor Treasurers that were named the world's best finance minister but that is not a gong that her former boss got. But I will tell you what really matters to the Australian people: it was the fact that we have delivered a AAA credit rating from all of the three major global ratings agencies, something they never, ever achieved.

Ms O'Dwyer interjecting—

All of the heckling from the former staff member of the former member for Higgins will never change the record or overcome the fact that they never, ever achieved that. They come into this place and say, 'Oh, the economy is terrible.' The member for North Sydney says, 'The Treasurer's messages are confused.' I tell you what: his message has not been confused; he has been out there day after day for the last six years talking down the economy at every opportunity, trying to scare people. If there is any impact on confidence, it has to be, clearly, the fact that there are too many people out there that might actually be listening to the member for North Sydney. I remind the House that, if you want to understand—

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