Tony Smith (Casey, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

We rightly point out on this side of the House that those opposite are divided on so many things, but we have seen today that they are united on one thing: they are completely, utterly unembarrassable. Have a look at the front of this MPI—to come in and lecture the government on honesty and accountability, when the previous six years of government was littered with dishonesty and incompetence which was covered up with more dishonesty and incompetence.

Speakers on this side have rightly pointed out the uncountable number of times the former Treasurer, the member for Lilley, pledged a surplus and then announced a surplus and declared a surplus when it never existed. We can go right back to the time they had their first deficit. The instinct of those opposite was to cover up. The member for Lilley delivered the budget speech with a deficit except he omitted to actually mention what the deficit was. When you add up a budget, when it all comes down to it, it comes down to a number—a surplus or a deficit. Having gone into deficit and missed target after target, he then projected surpluses and, as we know, announced that that surplus had occurred. It was the budget equivalent of photoshopping.

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