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

My question is to the Leader of the Government in the Senate, Senator Conroy. I refer the leader to the Prime Minister's very first press conference as Prime Minister, at which she said:

And today I can assure every Australian that their Budget will be back in surplus in 2013.

I also refer to the Prime Minister's speech last week at the National Press Club, in which she reported that Australian families were saving a lot more and spending a lot less than they were before the global financial crisis hit 4½ years ago. Why is it that Australian families have been able to tighten their belts so that they live within their means but the government has not?