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

I will. I withdraw. On Thursday night, the Leader of the Opposition has to do three things. He has to explain how he would address the debt and deficit disaster left by the previous government. He has to explain how he would address that. Secondly, he has to explain how he would fund the physical and skills infrastructure that Australia needs in the future without just borrowing more money from overseas, as the previous government did. He has to explain how he would deliver the infrastructure that we are delivering while reducing the tax burden by $5.7 billion over the budget. Thirdly, he has to explain how he would establish a sustainable safety net for Australians into the future, because that is what we did in the budget last night. In this budget, Australians have found that they have a government of adults who will make the tough decisions to make the safety net, which we on this side of the House all regard very highly, sustainable into the future—and not just by borrowing more money overseas. If he does not meet those three tests, explaining how he would deal with the budget, then he will not measure up as Leader of the Opposition on Thursday night.

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