Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Competitiveness) Share this | Hansard source

and that is the only other way of going about this, isn't it—to increase the $70 billion black hole to $82 billion? Again, the coalition stood up yesterday with personal explanations, saying that they never said anything about $70 billion. The shadow finance minister said this:

It’s not a furphy. We came out with the figure, right?

And, indeed, the coalition did come up with the $70 billion, which has just blown out to $82 billion because of this unfunded scheme.

This is a test of character. When the Leader of the Opposition is called to a long-form interview, he cannot perform after he goes past that script. When he is off-script he does not know what he is doing. When the issues of asylum seekers and of carbon pricing fade from the political horizon, he thinks he is on to something big. He goes in; he misleads the Australian people. This is a test of character and I can tell you this, buddy: you failed.

Honourable members interjecting—

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