Ewen Jones (Herbert, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was watching the Australian Story on Bob Hawke. Barry Cassidy said 'Bob Hawke was elected to bring the nation together.' Indeed he was. But he was also elected to provide income tax cuts, increase unemployment benefits, and raise pensions. He did none of them.

I have a list: Labor floating the dollar; Labor introducing HECS; Labor introducing the PBS co-payment; the coalition's response to the Asian financial crisis; the coalition's response to the collapse of HIH; Labor's rolling back of border protection policy; Labor's attack on private health insurance; Labor's alcopops tax, Labor's response to the GFC; Labor's axing of the chronic disease dental scheme; Labor's attack on the single parent pension; the MSPT and the MRRT. None of these things were taken to an election. They were economic responses to changes in circumstances The carbon tax, however, was a political decision and its sudden implementation had nothing to do with our economy. That is why it was so central to the previous government being tossed from office.

Both sides of this parliament agree with the proposition that the budget should be balanced, yet there is only one side prepared to do the lifting. We were elected to fix the budget mess. We inherited a broken budget and an economy that needed severe repairs. The only way to fix it is with hard work and spending less than we earn. When circumstances change, we adapt and correct. It was what we were elected to do. To keep digging holes is simply not an option. I thank the House.