Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

There were a lot of tough decisions in this budget, and it is good that members opposite have noticed that there are some tough decisions in this budget. There is no easy way to deal with the debt and deficit disaster that Labor has left this country. In the budget this government has carefully explained to the Australian people what we propose to do to deal with the mess that Labor created, and now it is up to the Leader of the Opposition to say how he will fix the mess that he helped to create. Let's face it: the Leader of the Opposition was a senior minister for almost six years in the government that gave us the six biggest deficits in history. He was the kingmaker who put Julia Gillard into the prime ministership. Then, when that was not good enough for him, he was the kingmaker who put Kevin Rudd back into the prime ministership. So if he was good enough and Machiavellian enough to make and unmake prime ministers, please tell us, Leader of the Opposition, what you would do to fix the debt and deficit disaster.

The Leader of the Opposition helped to make the mess. He should explain how he is going to fix it. We have been absolutely upfront with the Australian people about our solution for Labor's mess. It is time for the Leader of the Opposition to be equally honest with the Australian people. They are the fire; we are the fire brigade. I refuse to be impartial as between the fire brigade and the fire.

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