Michael Sukkar (Deakin, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister to the Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

Well, Mr Deputy Speaker, I think being referred to as a clown by the former Treasurer is quite extraordinary. And we love seeing you there, Swannie. Mr Deputy Speaker, I will refer to those opposite by their titles. We would love to see the former Treasurer back on the front bench because we think you are the greatest electoral asset that we have. So come back to the front bench and keep the interjections going.

The member for McMahon started his remarks by saying we are paying the price. We are paying the price for six years of Labor. We are paying the price having gone from $20 billion surpluses to $40 billion deficits that we inherited under this government. We are paying the price for the former Labor government sending us in a trajectory of $667 billion of debt, increased spending and a slowing economy. Now, we are the economy that is the envy of the world. Of course, we have more to do.

One thing that this government will ensure is that low-cost energy, a competitive advantage of our economy that we have enjoyed for many generations, continues into the future. The member for McMahon could not explain whether the Labor Party's 50 per cent renewable energy target was a target, an aspiration, an option or a goal, but what we do know is that Labor's policies on energy will make our heavy industry and manufacturing uncompetitive. So when they talk about states like South Australia and Victoria—and I am a proud Victorian; Victoria is the heart of manufacturing in our country—one of the primary economic and competitive advantages that we have had in low-cost energy is something that they have tried to frustrate every step of the way.

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