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

As I have indicated earlier, the government made a judgement based on a whole lot of information: based on considering a whole series of options, we made a judgement on what was both desirable and affordable. As a result of our efforts, over the first year in government we observed that the economy was now strengthening, that jobs growth was strengthening, that the budget position was improving, and that we were now on a credible and believable path back to surplus. We wanted to keep the momentum of stronger growth and stronger jobs growth going—which is why, as part of our focus on facilitating stronger growth in the context of significant structural adjustments in the mining sector and in various other parts of the economy, we made a judgement that this was the best way forward. And we also made a judgement on what was affordable in the context of the current budget position.