Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

Calm down. You look like you're whipping yourselves in a horserace over there! You've got to stop that! You've got to calm down! They took over a budget that had a surplus, that had assets in the bank, that had no net government debt—none—and they turned that around in six years into a massive government debt and a massive deficit, and they sold off most of the assets. Many people have forgotten. The Higher Education Endowment Fund, the health fund, the communications fund: Labor gave all of those things away while they were in government, in their profligate spending spree.

In this budget we will see how a considered and calm government goes about doing the job that we are elected to do. We will repair the budget mess left to us by the Labor Party. We will announce reforms in areas of the tax system where it is important to have reform. We will make sure that we deliver the spending measures that are vital to a growing economy, whether it is in infrastructure, whether it is in northern Australia, whether it is in the defence industry, whether it is in health or education investments.

Mr Conroy interjecting—

I oppose the motion.

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