Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for her question. The Labor budget support jobs and growth. This Labor budget invests in the future at a time of economic insecurity around the world. This is what Labor budgets do—invest in the future, protect jobs, support industries, promote growth and provide services. Under Labor, 950,000 jobs have been created, with more Australians in work than ever before.

Those opposite need to acknowledge that they were a high-taxing government, in fact almost the highest-taxing government in the history of this country. It is estimated that the tax to GDP ratio in 2013-14 will be 22.2 per cent. That is 1.8 percentage points lower than the average of the last five years of the Howard government. Mr Abbott's choice will be to cut to the bone. It is in their DNA. They will put tens of thousands of jobs at risk and grind the economy to a standstill. That is what is in their DNA. If you need proof, you need look no further than the savage cuts of the Campbell Newman government. (Time expired)