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

It is not surprising that those opposite have asked the question that they just asked, because this morning the Leader of the Opposition was again seeming to have some trouble actually deciding whether or not we were in surplus or deficit. He was asked specifically by Mr Uhlmann at 8.23 this morning:

CHRIS UHLMANN: But just quickly, you would have engaged in some stimulus spending and there would have been a deficit?

MALCOLM TURNBULL: Well, there is no doubt. Look, I don’t think there is, it is very hard to imagine a circumstance in which the Budget this year would not be in deficit but it may have been in deficit by a very small amount or it may have been in surplus by a small amount with different policies.

So those opposite are engaging in correct tactics at question time. They are actually asking for information because the Leader of the Opposition has not got a clue. Mr Hockey has dropped him in it. Mr Hockey has dropped him into a $25 billion commitment for Thursday night. (Time expired)