Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question, because the truth is that in this budget we cut taxes as a share of the economy. We cut taxes and we reined in the reckless spending of those opposite. It was their reckless spending that put upward pressure on inflation and that produced eight interest rate rises in the last three years. And now they want to do it again. They want to raid the surplus. This afternoon in the Senate they are going to start that process of raiding the surplus. They are going to move against our initiatives that are so important to build a strong surplus, to combat inflation and to put downward pressure on interest rates.

I think it is pretty clear, going by the remarks of the member for Wentworth, that he must be the author of this strategy. He is the author of the strategy for the $284 million raid on the surplus that will take place if they delay all of these measures in the Senate at four o’clock this afternoon. We have had some advice on where the member for Wentworth is getting his advice.

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