Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

The government's agenda to build a stronger more prosperous economy and to repair the budget mess that the Labor Party and the Greens put Australia in is there for all to see in the budget papers. We have already been able to pass 75 per cent of our budget measures through the parliament, despite the obstructionist approach by Labor and the Greens. But there are a series of structural reforms that are yet to get through the Senate.

What I would say is that Senator Milne would have much more credibility in putting forward alternative suggestions if she actually started by supporting the policy positions that the Greens have held for a very long time. As long as Senator Milne is trying to argue in favour of regular cuts in the real value of the excise on fuel and as long as Senator Milne is arguing in favour of letting the revenue from the fuel excise erode by inflation she has no credibility. I think there will be regime change in the Greens sooner rather than later. (Time expired)