Nola Marino (Forrest, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

At the commencement, I have to say I was really disappointed to hear the very personal attacks by the member for McEwen, particularly on the member for Parkes. I am one of the few farmers in the place. I saw the disrespect and the sniggering at the member for Parkes. It was appalling. That unfortunately reflects the view that Labor have about rural and regional Australia and our farmers. As a farmer in this place I would put on record that I have enormous respect for every person who represents rural and regional Australia and for those who actually get out on the land and do the hard yards. As one of them, let me reassure you that on this side of the House we have enormous respect for what you do, and please, do not be offended by what you just heard. And as for the words 'chaos' and 'incompetence', they belong only in one place, and that is with Labor.

It is a sick joke, this MPI, just a sick joke. When Australians sit back and look at where they are at and they see that we were heading to $667 billion worth of debt, they know where the responsibility lies, irrespective of what was said on the other side. We do have a very sound budget strategy, and we are working every single day to undo the damage of six years of Labor in charge of Treasury. And Labor is a repeat offender in the place of debt and deficit. I do not know if there is anyone on that side who is still here who was around 25 years ago when the last Labor surplus was delivered—a quarter of a century, and you have the absolute gall to come into this place and talk about economic management when you have not delivered a surplus anywhere near it in over a quarter of a century. If that is not an offence—25 years—it is just dreadful.

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