Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

We believe that work-ready youngsters, work-capable youngsters, ought to be either learning or earning; and, as a result of this budget, those who are not working for a wage will have far more opportunity to learn a skill, to go to university, to go to TAFE, because this government is giving them far more opportunity to do so. I believe that this budget embodies the great aspirations of the Australian people, and at the very heart of our national character are two things: first of all, the desire to extend to the more vulnerable members of our community a fair go. This budget absolutely protects the fair-go principle which is so important in this country of ours that we love. Australians also expect the people who can to have a go. That is what this is all about. Those who are not capable of working will continue to be protected, but those who are capable of working will be expected to have a go. They will be expected to be either earning or learning—and that is the way it ought to be.

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