Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Special Minister of State and Scrutiny of Government Waste) Share this | Hansard source

I am afraid I cannot let the comments of the good senator go by without some comment. As Senator Bilyk knows, I consider her a good colleague. But, if she honestly thinks that on the eve of a Tasmanian election the voters in Tasmania are going to judge the Labor Party, both state and federal, positively on the back of the NBN, I would be utterly amazed. If the Australian Labor Party are allowed to get away with $43 billion of unfunded expenditure, without a business plan, the people who will suffer will be the people of Tasmania—the federal government will put this country into so much debt that the good people of Tasmania will not be able to get the services that they clearly deserve.

Senator Bilyk’s leader, who has rushed into the NBN, the Home Insulation Program and the Green Loans Program for cheap political purposes, is exposing Senator Bilyk’s fellow Tasmanians to excessive debt. Your fellow Tasmanians, Senator—through you, Madam Acting Deputy President—will be required to pay off the debt of Kevin Rudd, the Prime Minister, and your party. The good people of Tasmania, who will need doctors and hospitals, and roads and other infrastructure, will not be able to access those services because the Australian Labor Party will have spent and spent, putting this country into enormous debt. It beggars belief that they can justify spending $43 billion without a business plan. I do not for one minute think that Senator Bilyk can honestly accept that that sort of expenditure, which will leave the people of Tasmania exposed, is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds. I do not for one minute believe that she could honestly believe that.

I want you, Senator Bilyk, to think, please, about what your response is going to be when you start getting letters from constituents who cannot get a doctor, who cannot get additions to their hospitals, who cannot get their roads built and who cannot get other government services. What is your response going to be? Regrettably, it is not going to be: ‘I stood up for you by opposing this wanton expenditure. There was no justification for it.’ When you can say that, I will have some sympathy for you.