Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Collins says 'yep'. Do you know what, Mr Temporary Chairman? That is why this nation has had the four biggest budget deficits in its history. That is why this nation is now confronted with the biggest debt it has ever had in its lifetime—because of that sort of high-handed approach by ministers in this government. They could not care less about the cost because I think they are relying on the coalition coming in sometime soon to clean up the mess yet again. That is, unfortunately, our history. After the Whitlam government we had to do it. After the Keating government we had to do it. And there is no doubt that we will need to do it after the Rudd and Gillard failures. We are also told that the senators on the Senate committee somehow did not object to—