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

I was asked about the budget and I am talking about budgets—the 2012 budget in particular, which the member for Lilley introduced by declaring, 'The four years of surpluses that I announce tonight'. The budget that we have just brought down is necessary to address the debt and deficit disaster that members opposite created. They gave us the six biggest deficits in Australia's history. They gave us debt and deficit stretching out as far as the eye can see—$123 billion of further deficits, $667 billion of projected debt—and they thought they had delivered four surpluses. That is what the member for Lilley claimed he had delivered. What an utter fraud on the Australian people. That is what members opposite were—a complete fiscal fraud on the Australian people. This government knows a problem when we see it. The problem is Labor and we are dealing with it.

I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.

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