Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Scarr. There's no-one around that cabinet table that seems to be able to say no. Let's face it: Senator Gallagher is a nice person, but I can't see her intimidating anybody around the Expenditure Review Committee, with all respect. Again, Jim, he's a hail-fellow-well-met sort of fellow. He doesn't inspire confidence that he's got any guts and a ticker to say no and to make tough decisions. They're just kicking the can down the road. They're addicted to spending your money. The Australian Labor Party are just addicted to it. They think it's their money. They tax you. They raised taxes in this budget by $20 billion. They spend another $40 billion, and then they have the gall to say they're fighting inflation. Their own figures damn them. They are totally misreading the Australian economy. They are wasting your money, they are taxing you more and they are doing nothing to help you pay your bills and get the cost of living down.

Question agreed to.

Sitting suspended from 17:13 to 20: 15