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

My head is still spinning from the suggestion by the member for Mackellar that it was an immaculate conception. I think it is regrettable that that is now recorded on the Hansard. Be that as it may, the former member for Bennelong and the former Prime Minister John Howard may not have issued a press release—and I can understand why he would not want to issue a press release that would effectively contradict everything that his colleagues have been saying in this parliament for the last few years—but, in a speech that he gave to what he probably thought was a private audience though someone happened to record the speech, he said that our debt levels are at very low levels. He spoke the truth. Whilst John Howard is prepared to speak the truth, those opposite are prepared to wade and wallow around in mistruths and misinformation and attempts to muddy the very strong economic reputation of this government—a triple A credit rating from all three major ratings agencies, strong growth that is 13 per cent larger than the GFC and almost a million jobs created under our watch. That is our record and we are proud of it.

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