Ian Macfarlane (Groom, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Water) Share this | Hansard source

There is no argument about Paul Keating! Paul Keating as Treasurer managed to rack up $96 billion worth of debt. But Paul Keating at least had the courage of his convictions. He at least understood what reform was. He at least was prepared to do the things that had to be done for this country, and—for the member for Solomon’s benefit, because I know he is only new to this House—the coalition in opposition supported those reforms. What we are seeing from this Treasurer, arguably the worst Treasurer we have seen in this country, although there were some in the Whitlam years that would rival him, is a continuation of the socialist philosophy of spend, spend, spend. As Margaret Thatcher once said, the problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money to spend. So then we go into a borrow, borrow, borrow program—$700 million a week. I bet that would fund a few projects in the member for Solomon’s seat.

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