Michael Forshaw (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I note that the minister did not respond to the point in the question that these announcements were made before the policies were costed. So I ask the minister: why is it that his department is really unnecessary in doing any costings on these policies? What savings could be made as a result of them not being necessary? Further, can the minister confirm that economic commentators are right to say that the Prime Minister’s desperate election year spending is putting significant pressure on interest rates? Why is the Prime Minister putting the mortgages of working families in jeopardy with what is clearly going to be a significant and substantial election spending spree in the next few months?