George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Farrell, what I can confirm is that last week Australia broke the world record for economic performance: 26 years of continuous economic growth without a recession. And since we began the day in the spirit of some bipartisanship, I think it is fair to say that the honours are shared between your side of politics and mine, although at the moment, us having, as it were, gone through the ribbon on the watch of a coalition government, I guess we get to receive the garland.

But, nevertheless, Senator Farrell, what has achieved Australia's world-beating performance, the most successful economy in modern times, is that at critical times neither side of politics has shirked from the reform task. If we are going to continue for a 27th and a 28th year, and years beyond that, of economic growth, we must never shirk from the reform task, and that lies in the hands, more than any other group of people in this country, of those who sit in this Senate. One of the next stages of reform is the government's enterprise tax plan, Senator Farrell. By reducing the tax of small business and then medium business and ultimately businesses of all sizes—