Santo Santoro (Queensland, Liberal Party, Minister for Ageing) Share this | Hansard source

We will continue to provide tax cuts, and I will take Senator Murray’s interjection. I think that tax reform is another way to describe what we have been doing for the last 10 years. We will continue to fund essential services and we will continue to fund essential national priorities such as vocational education and training, and also education. We will continue to fund the states at record levels, with increased GST revenues. It is politically risk-free, ever-increasing GST revenue, which unfortunately most of the states do not spend as efficiently as the people in those states wish them to. That is the story of budget surpluses under this particular government.

In conclusion, the government have overseen a fiscal strategy that has helped to deliver strong economic and employment growth coupled with modest inflation, as well as a sound fiscal position. These two appropriation bills will build on that very significant and, from our point of view, proud record. I commend the bills to the Senate. I move:

Debate (on motion by Senator Santoro) adjourned.