Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

The Australian people would be scratching their heads about the behaviour of those opposite when it comes to the debt cap. Wasn't this supposed to be some kind of debt emergency? Weren't they supposed to be against more debt? Didn't the now Treasurer say to the Press Club in May this year that for the good of the country we need to stop increasing debt as quickly as possible? And the year before didn't the Treasurer say that there is no justification for an increase in the credit card limit of the Commonwealth government whilst they are claiming to live within their means? Didn't the now Prime Minister say in 2011, as the shadow Treasurer said, that borrowing extra money was like saying to your bank manager: 'Look mate, I've got my spending under control. Can you extend my credit limit?' Didn't they say that they would not work with the Greens? Didn't they say that the Greens were economic fringe dwellers? Didn't they call year after year, whenever there was a policy change or some kind of development, for the government to release the books to update the Australian people on the nature of the Australian budget? All of those things are ringing a few bells. In the language of social media: WTF! That was then and this is now. The reality of their approach to the economy now is that there is a vast difference—

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