David Bushby (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask the Minister representing the Treasurer a supplementary question. If the surplus is now available for spending—and I note it is not particularly clear from your answer whether you are saying it is or not, but this is on the assumption that it is available—and no longer required to control inflation, why doesn’t the government simply abandon its proposed tax hikes and return the money to the people of Australia? Doesn’t this just prove that the government’s attacks on the opposition over our opposition to these tax hikes are just cynical spin?