Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the motion put by Senator Hanson in relation to a debt ceiling. I suppose it will not be lost on you, as it is probably not lost on anybody else here, that it is absolutely important that we live within our means. I was listening to the contribution that Senator Whish-Wilson gave to this place in relation to this matter. I was quite astounded to hear him say that he thought that more debt was a good thing. As you would be aware from your own family businesses, Mr Acting Deputy President Bernardi, you do not actually live beyond your means. You only borrow money so that you can invest in the prosperity of another day, and you do not actually borrow against your children. I think it is absolutely important that we accept the fact that we have an extraordinarily responsible government in power at the moment. This government has made it very, very clear that debt and deficit recovery is one of the most important things we will ever do. For us to be standing here listening to comments like those we heard from Senator Whish-Wilson in relation to the fact that he thought it was a good thing for us to increase debt, and, in doing so, to increase the debt for our children—I know for one thing that I have been brought up with parents who believed very, very essentially that it was always nice to pass something on to your children. I can assure you that I have absolutely no intention whatsoever of passing on to my children a debt. I think any responsible government would think the same thing.

When it comes to the debt ceiling, it was interesting to hear those opposite crowing that they were the ones who brought in the debt ceiling and we were the ones that took the debt ceiling off. We also need to accept the fact that there are different reasons, Mr Acting Deputy President—I think it is the first time I have seen you in the chair since I have been speaking, so—