Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I only have a minute, but you only need a minute to talk about this budget. The budget has no coherent economic strategy to deliver stronger economic growth, sustainable budget surpluses and to tackle debt. What has happened is that the Labor government is on its knees seeking forgiveness from the Australian people over the carbon tax. That explains why it has broken a number of promises in order to deliver a further families package to try to take people's focus off the carbon tax. In the whole speech there was only one reference to the carbon price. People out there are asking, 'Doesn't the government still stand for the carbon tax?' No, they could not mention the name but they had to mention the extra compensation they are now trying to promote in the community in order to assuage the anger of people out there about the carbon tax.

In the course of doing that they have had to break further promises around company tax, foreign aid, our defence forces, flip-flopping on the business carry-back of losses— (Time expired)