Lindsay Tanner (Melbourne, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Hansard source

The government’s position with respect to spending and savings is very clear and has been outlined by both me and the Treasurer in this parliament on a number of occasions—that is, new spending will be offset by savings, and spending will not be increased beyond two per cent in real terms once the growth rate in this economy goes beyond three per cent. And for an opposition that is engaged in a giant, unfunded spendathon, with a daily set of new billions of dollars worth of commitments that have no savings to back them up, to suggest that the government has a problem on this front is the absolute epitome of hypocrisy. The country demands sound economic management. The Abbott opposition has abandoned its core supporters and is a risk to the future prosperity of this nation. It has no idea of fiscal management and it would be a great threat to the future of the Australian economy.

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