Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

I am happy to help the member for McMahon to try to understand what he just said. I make the point that since we have been in government we have seen, despite the iron ore price falling from $120 to around $54 a tonne, despite the headwinds out of the global economy, a government focused on implementing a plan that goes like this. The plan ensures that we start to live within our means, that as a nation we start to reduce our expenditure, that as a government we stop the waste, that as a government we get rid of the taxes that are going to be a handbrake on the Australian economy, like the carbon tax and the mining tax—which Labor wants to reintroduce—and that at the same time we show respect for taxpayers. Every dollar the government spends is a dollar that comes out of the pockets of hardworking Australians. We treat taxpayers' dollars with respect.

Ms O'Neil interjecting—

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