David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I assure the senator that we are not ignoring any community outrage. We have said that we will recant with respect to allowances, which we have done. Let me repeat, for the umpteenth time, the position that this government is in with respect to salaries of directly employed Commonwealth employees, as bequeathed to us by the mismanagement of the last government, is such that we must take tough measures. This is part of the recovery that this particular government sees as necessary in its financial management to get Australia back onto a more—