Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Hansard source

I can inform the member for Forrest that, unfortunately for the Higher Education Support Act, the bill is stuck in the Senate while Labor and the Greens continue to refuse to pass it. We are in the ludicrous position in the current parliament where Labor are now voting against the savings measures they proposed whilst in government. They are also voting against increasing the debt ceiling limit. So we have the ridiculous situation where Labor had savings measures that they now oppose. They are adding to the debt limit, they are adding to the deficit and they are voting against the bill to increase the debt ceiling limit. That is how economically illiterate Labor have become.

I notice that Paul Keating the former Prime Minister is in Canberra this week to talk to the caucus about economic matters. I am sure he would have some advice for them, because Labor are tremendously confused at the moment. They are very confused economically. They want to have their cake and they want to eat it too. They want to add to the debt, they want to add to the deficit, they want to vote against savings measures they proposed, and they want to also vote against increasing the debt ceiling limit bill.

We have the ridiculous situation where Labor not only are opposing our program and frustrating the abolition of the carbon tax and the mining tax and savings measures but also voting against their own program when they were in office. No wonder Labor voters are confused. First they are told that Kevin Rudd is the Messiah; then he is the monster. Then they are told, three years later, that Julia Gillard is the Messiah; then they are told that Julia Gillard is not the Messiah but a liability, and they have to go back to the monster.

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