George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Lambie, I am sorry, but I cannot accept the premise of your question. We have to find savings because we cannot pass on to the next generation the debt that the last Labor government shouldered our generation with. It would be wrong to do so—not just economically irresponsible but morally wrong to ask our children and our grandchildren to pay for our overindulgence over the past six years. We do not want to have to do this, but we have to do this. But you would also know, Senator Lambie, that one area which the government have quarantined is overall Defence spending because we were concerned for the national security of our country about allowing the percentage of the Defence budget—