Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Sherry, of course, is interjecting—and he is one of the greatest recalcitrants on the other side. He cannot answer a question. He is not across his portfolio and all he does is either snooze or interject during question time—and normally in that order.

I now want to talk about what this budget does not include, which means that it is not set in stone but rather it is a budget built on sand. This budget will not stop the boats. This budget will not pay off debt, but rather will increase it. This budget will not put the budget into surplus. No-one believes this government can ever, ever deliver a budget surplus. It will take very, very minimal movement in the economy of China—upon which this surplus is built—for the surplus to dissipate in front of our very eyes. This budget will not stop the government's waste and mismanagement. It will not ease the cost-of-living pressures on Australian families, but rather will add to them. It will not assist private health insurance and it will not do anything about the government's dishonest dealings with the Australian community.

But what this budget will do is impose a carbon tax and a mining tax and destroy private health insurance. It will increase net debt. It will require the borrowings of approximately $135 million per day this financial year and, over the next four years, $20 million a day in borrowings—$4,200 for every Australian over the next four years. This is a government that inherited a strong economy. This is a government that inherited a budget surplus. This is a government that inherited no debt. And in the short space of three years they have driven the net debt into the second highest in this country's history. It was a despicable act last night. It was not a budget; it was an excuse for inactivity. It was an excuse for a government that simply has not got any control of itself. It has no control of our borders and it has no control of the economy, and families are ultimately the ones who have suffered.

I will repeat the comments that Senator Eggleston made when he said: 'Why should families be responsible for this government's refusal or inability to do anything about properly protecting our borders?' This so-called Malaysian deal, which will cost close to $300 million, is a complete and utter farce. There is not one person in the Australian community who believes that it is going to resolve the situation. The solution is there, as Senator Eggleston said, with Nauru. It is quite simple. The Prime Minister knows that, the Labor Party backbench knows that, but the Prime Minister will not swallow her pride, admit she has made a mistake and get on and do something about it. Why should the Australian community pay for her refusal to acknowledge the mistakes that she has made? Why should they pay for her ego? Why should they continue to pay for her refusal to protect Australian families and to ease these increasing cost-of-living pressures?

This government had an opportunity to do something significant for this country in last night's budget. But, instead, they have put every single egg of every single Australian family in the basket of the Chinese economy. This is a Chinese economy driven budget—and if there is a sneeze in the Chinese economy we will get a very, very serious does of the flu. Not one economic or political commentator thinks for one minute that there will not be a sneeze in the Chinese community. It beggars belief that in the next three years there will not be a shiver in the Chinese economy. No-one for one minute thinks that the Chinese economy is at risk, but no-one believes that there will not be some— (Time expired)