Scott Buchholz (Wright, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

During question time today the Leader of the Opposition said that there would be pain in the electorate as a result of some of our budget measures. We should not pretend there will not be some degree of pain throughout the electorate, but I remind those Australians who will be feeling pain as to why that pain is coming. It is coming as a result of the deficits and the debt that was incurred through the mismanagement by those on the other side of this House. Does the problem need to be fixed? Do not take the Treasurer's word that the budget needs to be fixed; do not take the Prime Minister's word that the budget needs to be fixed. The Australian public has a choice: they can believe those on the other side, who put their heads in the sand and say, 'There is no problem,' or they can believe the then Treasurer, the member for Lilley, who said in 2011:

… meandering back to surplus would compound the pressures in our economy and push up the cost of living for pensioners and working people.

That was said by the then Treasurer who knew there was a problem.

But do not rely on the member for Lilley. Perhaps you could take a comment from Glenn Stevens, the Governor of the Reserve Bank. He does not bat for one side or the other; he calls it as it is. He said:

Early, measured actions … that build up over time are a much better approach than the much tougher responses that might be required if decisions are delayed.

But you do not have to believe the Governor of the Reserve Bank. The Secretary for the Treasury, Martin Parkinson, said it had to be fixed, as did Phil Bowen of the Parliamentary Budget Office. The Secretary General of the OECD, Angel Gurria, also said that the problem had to be fixed.

Ladies and gentlemen of this House, there are budget measures that need to be fixed. We were elected to get on and fix them, and we will do it. If you vote for Labor, you will get a carbon tax back; the boats will start coming again; and you will constrict future generations to debts and deficits. The only way this country is going to prosper is under a coalition government.

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