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

Australians can take heart at the fact that both the government and the RBA are willing to make the tough decisions to strengthen the Australian economy and protect jobs in the face of the global financial crisis. As I have said before, if necessary we will not hesitate to take further action to strengthen growth and limit the impact of the global financial crisis and the global recession on Australian jobs. Let’s contrast our approach with that of those opposite. Admittedly, it is hard to keep track of what their position actually is, given that their leader likes to walk both sides of the street on every important economic issue: telling people what they want to hear and then doing differently. We must deduce from the recent questioning of those opposite in this chamber that they would prefer to sit on their hands and do nothing to protect Australian jobs. (Time expired)