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

As I have said a number of times in this place, those opposite refuse to comply with the Charter of Budget Honesty that Peter Costello—who they reckon is the world's greatest treasurer—put in place. If you want to talk to us about fiscal policy and the need to be up-front with the Australian people, we will comply. I can give that guarantee. We will comply with the Charter of Budget Honesty; we have made that clear. You have never complied with it. Your economic team have never complied with it. So if you want to come in here and give us a lecture about savings, I suggest you get your own house in order. Let me tell you: what Premier Newman has done is exactly the same as Isobel Redmond in South Australia has done, which was to say, 'Let's just sack a quarter of the public service'—the exact same thing as in Tony Abbott's play book. Your only approach is to hide your savings from the Australian people and then, were you to win government, you would say, 'Oh, by the way, we are now going to engage in mass sackings.' That is the Liberal and National Party play book. (Time expired)