Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

It is all well and good for the Manager of Opposition Business to come in here and point the finger and say that we should admit our mistakes. Sure, a mistake has been made, and I have come into the House and I have said that a mistake has been made. But, irrespective of who made that mistake, I would just like an admission from those opposite on the fact that for six years they made relentless mistakes—endless mistakes. And he claims that $1 billion has been lost in this process. Well, $1 billion has not been exactly lost. We are amending Appropriation Bill (No. 6) 2013-2014 on a technicality. But if we are talking about billions of dollars being lost, why is this nation facing $123 billion worth of deficits? This is $123 billion in deficits that has been lost, not to mention the $667 billion lost—lost—by Labor, going forward, if left unchecked by this side. But we will correct that, won't we, Member for Fadden?

See this speech in context