Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

Mr Shorten is always very fast to be out there complaining about the proposals to reduce spending put forward by the government. Labor want to have it both ways: they complain about our proposals to reduce spending; they do not put up any other alternative proposals; and then they complain that spending is growing by too much. If the Labor Party do not like the proposed savings measures that we are putting forward, where are yours? What are your savings? Australia wants to know from Mr Shorten tonight how he will pay for his increased spending and how he will pay for not proceeding with $17 billion in savings that the government has put forward. How will he pay for it? I say it again—and this is a very important message to the Labor Party: 'Mr Shorten, show us the money. Pull Senator Wong into line—the big spender; the worst finance minister in the history of the Commonwealth. Pull Tanya Plibersek into line, who is out there spending $18 billion on foreign aid, which we do not have.'— (Time expired)