Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

As I have said, this is a very responsible budget, aptly presented, I think, as a no-frills budget. It brings the budget back into surplus three years earlier. The challenge for Mr Hockey tonight and for those opposite is: you have to take up the challenge of producing an earlier budget surplus—as you claim you will do—and, at the same time, indicate those revenue measures that you do not want to support and those expenditure cuts that you do not want to support. What we have seen for the last 2½ years, particularly under the current Leader of the Opposition, Mr Abbott, is that you oppose revenue measures and oppose expenditure cuts and expect us to believe you can deliver a lower budget surplus. That will be the challenge tonight. With all those measures you have said you will oppose, how are you going to produce a lower budget deficit? (Time expired)