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

I completely reject the premise of the question. Employment growth today is much stronger than it was when Labor lost government. In fact, the unemployment rate is below the rate that was anticipated at the time Labor lost government. The economic position today is better than it would have been if we had kept Labor's disastrous mining tax and Labor's disastrous carbon tax, if we had not pursued an ambitious free-trade agenda and if we had not pursued an ambitious infrastructure investment program. Our budget position now is on an improving trajectory—it is on an unbelievably improving trajectory—with the underlying cash balance improving year-on-year in both dollar terms and as a share of GDP.

In any event, when are Labor going to tell us how they are going to pay for more than $50 billion in unfunded promises? Or are you going to increase taxes by another $50 billion, on top of all the tax increases that you have already put on the table?