Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Finance Minister on Deregulation) Share this | Hansard source

I am responding to the question, because I was asked about support for the package. We are not getting any support from the coalition. The Leader of the Opposition just interjected a moment ago, saying the stimulus package is not significant enough. There he was, back in December, saying, ‘It will provide a significant stimulus.’ Now he says we have got to go further. Then we have the Dusty Springfields on the opposition side, a-wishin’ and a-hopin’ and a-thinkin’ and a-prayin’ that maybe the global recession will go away.

Let us look at this powerful economic team assembled by the Leader of the Opposition. The shadow finance minister said this ahead of the national accounts that came out a little while ago on Sky TV:

We’ll know, we'll have a better indication on Wednesday when the national accounts come out as to just how the combination of the stimulus packages are working …

The national accounts referred to are those for the last three months of last year. The second stimulus package is flowing now, so the shadow finance minister was mystically thinking that the effect of a stimulus package that is flowing now will show up in the national accounts for the last three months of last year! Such is the stupidity, the low level of economic knowledge and the incompetence of the opposition. It is being dictated to by the member for Higgins. It is a hopeless team. You are absolute, total cheapjack opportunists and you should just give it away. That is all you are—cheapjack opportunists and a completely incompetent rabble.

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