Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Hansard source

The threat to sound economic manage­ment is those opposite, in particular their so-called economic team. As I said, it is interesting the shadow Treasurer has committed the opposition—I bet this was without a shadow cabinet meeting—to returning a surplus by 2011-12. That is after they have climbed out of their $11 billion black hole. So he beat his chest and said, 'We'll make the hard yards.' When pressed he said, 'I don't know what the numbers are.' Well, he will know tonight—and I will bet those opposite will still not be able to work out how to do it. The problem those on the other side have is that Joe Hockey has led them down the garden path; he has made a promise that they will never be able to live up to. How embarrassing for the party that used to be the party of fiscal discipline—now the party of a budget black hole.