Andrew Robb (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Chairman of the Coalition Policy Development Committee) Share this | Hansard source

The shadow Treasurer, with his reference to Saul, reminded me of my childhood and the nuns in year 7 telling me about the prodigal son. The prodigal son was given charge of much of the family's wealth. But over several years he went on a spending spree—reckless spending, endless waste. That was the prodigal son. We have a Treasurer who was given charge of all the country's wealth. He is Australia's prodigal son. The Treasurer is Australia's prodigal son and he has gone on a spending spree. Despite endless denials and despite endlessly talking about fiscal discipline, a spending spree continues.

That is why there is a need for a crisis mini-budget. They leave you with the impression that they have fiscal consolidation. It is called statistical gymnastics. If you bother to have a look at the facts, as the Prime Minister is often reminding us—although she doesn't follow her own advice—this government brought down its first budget with a four per cent real growth in spending. That was pretty hefty. But let us say that is the reference point—$272 billion was the first budget of Australia's prodigal son. The next year we saw 12.7 per cent real growth—12.7 per cent is unprecedented—to $316 billion. The next year we saw another 4.2 per cent real growth to $337 billion. Then we had 0.7 per cent real growth, less than one per cent. But of course it is on top of this mountain that they have spent the two years before. So they have $349 billion and the following year another one per cent, $362 billion. We keep hearing about them being fiscally responsible. Yet they have not taken one dollar off the mountain of expenditure that they spent in 2008-09 and 2009-10. At least $90 billion in four years. It is not a one-off; every year now forever they will have built in an extra $90 billion.

He's scurrying off now! He doesn't want to hear the facts.

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