Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I will take that interjection from Senator Abetz, who, as Leader of the Government in the Senate, obviously supports that 60 per cent debt is okay. That is what the Prime Minister said. I am assuming you are supporting him, Senator Abetz? You support him.

You have driven unemployment up. It has gone up since you came to power. You have driven the car industry out of this country. You are trying to give submarine jobs in this country to Japan. Your National Security Committee sat there and every single one of them around the table said 'yes' to the Japan deal. That is what happened. Then you misled Senator Ruston, Senator Edwards and Senator Fawcett. You pretended to them that you were going to look after South Australia. You have absolutely misled them because your National Security Committee did a deal with Japan. You know you cannot deny it because it is true. You cannot deny it.

You have driven unemployment up in this country. You have driven business confidence through the floor. No consumer will spend money. You know what the best way to get GDP growing is? It is by having a responsible budget. (Time expired)