Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

What the government will continue to do is make decisions about the level of supports we provide into the economy based on the best possible advice and the best reading of the economic situation as that becomes increasingly clear. That's what we're doing as a cabinet. That's what the Expenditure Review Committee, which is the committee of cabinet that is considering these issues, is doing. We are looking at all of those matters extremely carefully. That may not suit the convenience of the member for Rankin or indeed the Leader of the Opposition or anyone else, but, if they want to work to a political timetable and agenda, that's up to them. The government has the important responsibility of calibrating our support for economic lifelines into this country and ensuring they are done in a way that limits the burdens on future generations, that is targeted and comprehensive and that uses the mechanisms that are already in place so as to not risk the sort of waste that we saw when stimulus measures were put in many years ago.

We have learnt the lessons of Labor's failures in this area. I'm sure if they'd had the opportunity to sit on these benches, which I'm sure would put a shudder through the spines of all Australians—if they believed that the Labor Party were dealing with this issue right now, it would put a shudder through their spines. Australians will feel very comfortable that this government is taking a mature and responsible approach to calibrating our economic supports on the best available economic data and not rushing off for a headline, which is what the member for Rankin seems only to be interested in.

See this speech in context