Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Sport) Share this | Hansard source

This is a Labor government that has put jobs at the forefront of its economic policy. When the global recession hit it was Labor who stood by workers to stimulate the economy. Infrastructure—that is what this government invested in. We have a record road budget. We have doubled the road budget. We are putting money into rail. It is something like 10 times the amount it was when we came into office. That is increasing the productive capacity of this country, keeping the construction sector going, keeping people employed, keeping apprentices employed. At the same time, we are working towards going back into the black next year, with a surplus.

Compare this to the coalition. I have to say, Peter Costello must be shaking his head after yesterday, with the Leader of the Opposition, Tony Abbott, walking away from a budget surplus.