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

I am really pleased to see that the Labor Party is now embracing two of the giants of the Liberal Party. I am really pleased to see that the Labor Party is now embracing John Howard and Peter Costello. Finally, having fought them tooth and nail through years, having fought John Howard and Peter Costello as they were fixing the Labor mess, I am really pleased that you are now putting your arms right around them. I have got a very high regard for former Prime Minister John Howard. He is one of the greatest politicians that I have ever witnessed. He has made an outstanding contribution to our country. It is a very different proposition when it comes to making decisions about government payments—and family tax benefit payments are government payments—from a position of a strong surplus compared to when you are in a situation where you have inherited a very large deficit. Labor, in 2007, inherited a strong economy, a strong budget— (Time expired)