Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. Given that the Treasurer has lauded the OECD report today, I refer the Treasurer to the August IMF staff report on the Australian economy, which projects only one year of mild recession for Australia but nine consecutive years of budget deficits, which is worse than the government’s own budget in May. Treasurer, has Australia ever run nine consecutive years of budget deficits, and will you explain to the Australian people just how much upward pressure your nine consecutive years of budget deficits will put on interest rates?

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