James Bidgood (Dawson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Finance and Deregulation. Why is consistent economic management important in the fight against high inflation and interest rates? Also, why is it crucial that the Senate not delay the passage of the government’s budget measures?

Lindsay Tanner (Melbourne, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Dawson for his question. Today is the last day of the budget session, and it is therefore appropriate to take stock of the budget and, indeed, the opposition’s response to the budget. The budget had three central features: a $22-billion surplus designed to put downward pressure on inflation and interest rates; over $40 billion invested in three large funds for the investment in infrastructure that this country has lacked for so long and so desperately needs from its national government to increase our economic capacity; and a $55-billion package of initiatives for working people, including at the heart of those initiatives very substantial tax cuts.

The opposition response to the budget has consisted of a number of things. First, a complete and utter refusal to engage in debate about the macroeconomic settings in Australia—a complete refusal to indicate what level of surplus they believe is appropriate to fight inflation and to put downward pressure on interest rates and a complete refusal to engage in debate about investment in the nation’s long-term future through investment in infrastructure and skills. The second element of their response has been to take as many positions as possible on issues in order to avoid the responsibility and the scrutiny of having a single position and in order to cover up the fact that they are engaged in a life and death internal struggle over the leadership of the Liberal Party—not just between the member for Wentworth and the Leader of the Opposition but also with the member for Higgins lurking in the background, hoping against hope that the world economy will collapse, that circumstances will change and that the entire Australian nation will come begging at his door asking him to fulfil the mantle that has always been his by birthright. So the Leader of the Opposition not only has to deal with the member for Wentworth snapping at him day in, day out; he also has the member for Higgins waiting, hoping, that the world economy will collapse. The third element of their response has been to block and delay budget initiatives to undermine the government’s inflation-fighting settings and to undermine the government’s long-term investment in infrastructure and skills.

In fact, the opposition has just blocked another budget savings measure in the Senate—the measure to end tax deductibility for donations to political parties. We might ask why they have done this. We might ask: who benefits from this? Are these donations being made predominantly by low-income people? Are they being made by working people, by battling working families? I do not think so. They are being made by high-income earners—by the kind of people that we all know the Liberal Party truly represents. That is who they are being made by.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The House will come to order so that the minister can be heard in silence.

Lindsay Tanner (Melbourne, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We need to see this action to block a significant savings measure in the budget in the context of another decision taken by the Liberal Party, the opposition, a couple of weeks ago to send off to a committee for over a year a measure to reduce the threshold for disclosure of political donations from the current $10,000 figure. They are committed to achieving a situation where wealthy Australians can make big political donations in secret and get a free kick from the tax commissioner at the same time.

In conclusion, the random sniping at the budget measures that we have seen from the opposition is unworthy of a party that seeks to form government. If you parade yourself around, as the Leader of the Opposition does, as the alternative government—and that is a phrase that he likes to use—you have a responsibility to act like an alternative government. It is not a badge you put on yourself; it is a badge that you earn. You earn that by engaging with the debate on the big issues that are facing this country. That is when you are entitled to call yourself an alternative government. The Rudd government is addressing the big issues facing Australia: investing in infrastructure, building a high-speed broadband network, tackling the skills crisis, putting downward pressure on inflation and interest rates, tackling climate change, reintroducing fairness into the workplace and getting better living standards for working people in this country. I will leave it to the Australian people to decide who the serious players are in Australian politics. It is certainly not the opposition. I call on them to stop their blocking and obstructive tactics and to engage in the debate about the future of this nation.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. I refer the Treasurer to page 6 of his budget newsletter, where he talks about opening a new structure for Sandgate State School. The Treasurer says:

The area was built with the help of a $150,000 Rudd Labor Government grant through the Investing in Our Schools program.

Can the Treasurer identify the funding allocated in the Rudd government budget for the Investing in Our Schools program?

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition has yet again indicated just how out of touch she is. She refuses to acknowledge there was a change of government on 24 November! She does not know the government changed. Is it any wonder that they are such a rabble in this House? We are proud of what we have done since we were elected to office, and one of the things we are particularly proud of is that we are out there putting forward our achievements on behalf of the Australian people. It does not matter how much she turns up her nose and sneers at ordinary people, the government are absolutely in touch with working families, and we are delivering for them.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, as the government axed the Investing in Our Schools program, I seek leave to table the newsletter.

Leave not granted.