Russell Broadbent (McMillan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

The member for Moreton, just to make it clear. The member for Moreton was in that government. He knows the mistakes they made. He knows they were a profligate, spendthrift government. They had no concern for what they were spending; they spent and spent. When the income of this nation took a downturn they did not stop spending. They were actually told by the head of Treasury, 'You can't keep spending like this. We can't afford new programs into the future; we just can't afford it.' He said, 'The money's not there to pay for it.' What did the Labor Party say? 'We don't care.' This is all about politics. It has nothing to do with the best interests of the Australian people or the health and wellbeing of this nation and its economy.

I made a mistake the other day, which I will admit to. I walked out in the middle of a speech by the Leader of the Opposition because I was so disappointed that he made a partisan statement when this parliament and the nation were trying to send a message on closing the gap. It is a bipartisan statement of this parliament that we want that gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people closed in every state, community, city and country. I should not have done that; I should not have walked out. But I was so disappointed with the Leader of the Opposition because I expected more from him on that day. So if there is anybody out there I need to apologise to, I apologise to them now; but I do not apologise for being absolutely disappointed with the Leader of the Opposition.

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