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

I am sure he is not feeling neglected. As the senator knows there is always, in the lead-up to budget updates, speculation about matters that government might or might not be considering. A lot of that speculation is not correct. As was the case under Mr Costello and as remains the case under us, the government is not going to—

Senator Abetz interjecting—

I will take the interjection from Senator Abetz that Mr Costello has become a precedent. Let me tell you, Mr President, the only party in this chamber that is saying, 'We will comply with Peter Costello's Charter of Budget Honesty' is the Labor Party. The only party which will comply with Peter Costello's Charter of Budget Honesty is the Labor Party. I wait for the modest members, those Costello acolytes and all of those who think fiscal credibility is so important, to stand on their feet and say that I am misrepresenting them—that they too will ensure that they comply with the Charter of Budget Honesty that Peter Costello introduced.

When it comes to super I would make this point: we are the party of superannuation. We built occupational superannuation against the opposition of those opposite. If anybody ever wants to see the credibility—or lack thereof—of the Liberal Party when it comes to super, go and have a look at the debates when the SGC was first introduced and see how bitterly and vehemently they opposed it. (Time expired)