Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Hansard source

I completely reject the premise of the question. This government is acting to build a stronger economy. We delivered a pro-growth budget in April which included a further $158 billion in income tax relief, taking income relief over the next decade to more than $300 billion. That is putting $300 billion back into the pockets of hardworking Australians which they are able to spend or invest in the Australian economy as they see fit.

As the governor of the Reserve Bank has made very clear—and we agree with his assessment—the Australian economy is expected to gradually strengthen into the future on the back of lower interest rates, lower taxes, continued high investment in infrastructure and a pick-up in the resources sector. We will continue to stick to the plan. We are not going to get the Labor way, the high-taxing, high-spending, anti-business, socialist agenda way, because we know that your way would have made the Australian economy weaker—and the Australian people know so as well.