Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

What I would also say to the shadow Treasurer—who seems very interested in these matters and is now, quite remarkably, saying to me, 'Where are the savings'—is that when we announce the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook you will see yet again this government making savings. I would invite the shadow Treasurer on the same day to publish the opposition's figures including how they are going to cover the $70 billion black hole. If the shadow Treasurer is seriously interested in matters of fiscal consolidation and fiscal prudence then I think he will jump to the challenge and the opportunity to publish all of his figures on the same day as the government, including accounting for the $70 billion black hole. I would be very interested to see where the cutbacks are coming from, whether it is from pensions, hospitals, Medicare or defence. That $70 billion is the same as not paying the age pension for two years. Maybe that will be one of the Leader of the Opposition's decisions, but I will be very keen to see the facts and figures of it.

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