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

It is important to tackle Labor's debt and deficit disaster, and the self-funded retirees of Australia—of all people—appreciate the need for prudence. They appreciate the need for frugal government. They appreciate the need for governments—no less than households, families and business—to live within our means. Members opposite are talking about unfairness in this budget. The ultimate unfairness is saddling our children and our grandchildren with $25,000 worth of Commonwealth debt per man, woman and child. That is the ultimate unfairness and that is what this budget is designed to avoid.

There was a time when the shadow Treasurer thought that surpluses were important. He said, in 2012:

I think the surplus and our fiscal management has been important in putting downward pressure on interest rates. I think that's one of the great achievements of this government.

Only it was never achieved, because there was never a surplus. The member for Lilley stood up in this chamber in 2012 and said, 'The four surpluses I announce tonight'—and there were none. But, back then, when there was a skerrick of responsibility to the Labor Party and to members opposite, they appreciated that surpluses count. We know that surpluses count, and that is why we have delivered the budget that we have.

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