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

Here we have the hypocrisy on the opposition side. On the one hand we have Senator Cormann wanting to be tough—'You haven't been tough enough'—and then you have Senator Eggleston and others who are interjecting on that side saying that we should not put in place measures to better target family payments so that they are more sustainable into the future. You cannot have it both ways. This is the problem that the shadow Treasurer, Mr Hockey has. On the one hand he wants a bigger surplus and wants it earlier, but he is opposing savings. The Australian people are entitled to something a little more coherent from the alternative government than the complete mess they are presenting in response to this budget.