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

I regret to say that there is no alternative Operation Budget Repair from the alternative prime minister. The alternative prime minister does not have what it takes to repair the budget in the same way as he does not have what it takes to keep our nation safe and secure. In fact, Labor's budget black hole keeps increasing—today Labor added another $2.4 billion to their budget black hole. This is undermining our economic security in the same way as Labor, in the past, has undermined our national security. Labor is now against an increase in the pension for pensioners with comparatively fewer assets, and they are against returning the pension arrangements for pensioners with significantly more assets on top of their family home to those arrangements in place for most of the period of the Howard government. That is reckless and irresponsible. Labor should get out of the way. (Time expired)