Andrew Broad (Mallee, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In March 1933, FD Roosevelt said the words:

… the only thing we have to fear is fear itself …

I say to the parliament that the Australian economic fundamentals are strong. We have low interest rates; we have good currency exchanges; we have market opportunities that we have opened up through free trade agreements with Japan, China and South Korea; and we have a stable and safe country where investment is welcome.

I have the belief that it is small businesses, the risks and endeavours of individual Australians, that grow our wealth. We have a great opportunity there. The challenge for us is to capture that and to build on confidence, and I fear that, because we have not had a vision coming out of the Australian parliament from both sides of the parliament, particularly through us as the government, that opportunity is not being captured.

The future is great. I remain confident, and I want to affirm my resolve, that together we can make Australia a prosperous and generous country in the Asia-Pacific region if we dedicate our hearts to it.