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

By stopping the boats, what this government has done is to have stopped the deaths. That is what we have done: by stopping the boats, we have stopped the deaths at sea, which were the inevitable—

Mr Shorten interjecting—

I am talking about the deaths at sea. I would have thought that the interjector across the table would be very conscious of the importance of stopping the boats and stopping the deaths. The mining tax has gone and so investment can continue and jobs can be created. A $50-billion infrastructure program is underway, including major projects in every state and, yes, through asset recycling there is money available for public transport projects—should state governments wish to pursue them. Trade means jobs and so we have turbocharged our trade agenda. We have concluded the free trade agreements, which members opposite procrastinated about for six years, and these mean more exports, more jobs and lower prices. Major projects worth over $1 trillion have been given environmental approval by this government.

We know that fixing the budget is hard. We did not create the budget mess but we are prepared to take on responsibility for fixing it. I just wish members opposite would take on the responsibility for having created it in the first place. We are repairing the budget; Labor is sabotaging it. What we are doing is what we were elected to do, which is to build a strong and prosperous economy for a safe and secure Australia.

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