Kelly O'Dwyer (Higgins, Liberal Party, Minister for Revenue and Financial Services) Share this | Hansard source

It is always hard hearing the truth. I know that the member for Rankin feels very sensitive about this particular topic, because of course he was the former principal adviser to Wayne Swan, the former Treasurer. He was the brains trust behind these enormous budget deficits. He does not like the fact that, since coming into government in 2013, we have announced over 500 measures that improve the budget bottom line. These measures have improved the budget bottom line over the relevant forward estimates period by almost $100 billion. But our biggest challenge in government, in reining in spending, is those opposite. It is those opposite who believe that you can tax your way to prosperity. Of course, there is no-one who would actually support this view.

Our budget has been about focusing on better targeting and strengthening the integrity of our welfare system and making sure that the savings from those measures could actually go to the sustainability of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, which I note those opposite had not actually funded. It is very easy to announce something, but it is actually very difficult to fund it. So we have taken the difficult decisions to ensure that it is not simply a cruel hoax on some of the most vulnerable people in our society. We have taken those decisions so that those people can be confident that the National Disability Insurance Scheme will be able to be delivered and delivered in full. It is only through our savings measures that we are able to ensure that that can occur.

We have also been investing in roads, in rail and in other infrastructure which is very important. I do not have enough time now to go through all of the other measures. I look forward to the questions from those opposite.

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