Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I refer the minister to comments made by the Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens. I quote:

We have managed to get the Coalition to agree with us on the question of debt ...

I think they have a different view, Senator Sinodinos, than you about who has copped what and who has agreed with whom. Certainly Mr Bandt's view, from his public statements, is that that now precludes the need for any further savings measures. That is why they want to agree to your debt limit being removed. They think they have a basis to stop you cutting next year. You should probably tell them that that is not the case. But I again refer to my question, which was not answered: have the Australian Greens been briefed about the government's plans to use additional Commonwealth debt to finance infrastructure?