Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I do appreciate that you have the new standing orders to deal with, Mr President, but it is very hard to be relevant to a question built on so many false assertions and false assumptions. We have consistently said that the economically responsible thing to do is to protect Australian jobs and Australian families. If you do not want to sign up to that, just put your hand up. But no, you walk both sides of the street. This government has taken decisive and early action, and we stand ready to take whatever measures are needed to keep Australian families in jobs. That is why we have indicated we are prepared to consider further measures. And those opposite who want to try and pretend that it is responsible economic management to permanently stay in surplus are truly deceiving themselves, because they do not believe in it— (Time expired)