Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

We are coming back to surplus because we have a strong economy. We walk tall in the world and as a consequence of that we have the capacity to accumulate surpluses and, over time, pay down debt. That is precisely what we should be doing and that is exactly what we are doing. That is the reason we have put in place $33 billion worth of saves in this budget. The weight will be on those opposite because they have a $70 billion crater in their budget bottom line and every save of ours that they knock back will add to that $70 billion crater. That is the contrast between that side of the House and this side of the House. We take fiscal policy seriously. Those on that side of the House had their auditors found guilty of professional misconduct during the last election campaign. They could not be trusted to run a chook farm.

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