David Bradbury (Lindsay, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer ) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Moreton for his supplementary question. He is correct: when it comes to economic leadership, that is what this government has shown. We have shown that economic leadership when the tough times have presented themselves. When it came to the global financial crisis we intervened, we stimulated the economy and we saved hundreds of thousands of jobs in this economy. We ensured that hardworking Australian people continued to have the opportunity to go to work each day and to contribute to the economy, to make a contribution. We continue to do this by demonstrating economic leadership with the budget that we have handed down.

Those opposite, just as they came in and recklessly voted against the schoolkids bonus for families, came into this place and voted against the stimulus measures during the global financial crisis. I think Australians are entitled to ask the question: what was the Leader of the Opposition doing during this time? What was he doing when the biggest economic decisions this country has ever faced had to be taken? Some might argue that he needed some time to weigh up the pros and the cons, that he needed some time to maybe even sleep on it. In fact, he did not just sleep on it; he slept through it. He slept through the global financial crisis and the debate that occurred in this parliament.

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