Craig Kelly (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (Repeal) Bill 2014. This bill repeals the Australian Renewable Energy Agency Act 2011. The bill also provides for the transfer of all of ARENA's existing contracts and commitments to the Commonwealth and for the Department of Industry to assume management on the commencement of this bill. It is also anticipated that this bill will deliver savings of almost $1.3 billion, as identified in the 2014 budget.

During this debate it has been very clear that the opposition simply do not get it. They are in absolute, complete denial of the budgetary mess that they have created. They still seem to believe that there is some magical money tree or some magic pudding out the back that they can just keep pulling the money from and spend, spend, spend, spend. They do not seem to understand that one person's subsidy is another person's tax increase.

Just look at the mess we are in. We have to go back to the previous coalition government, who paid off $96 billion worth of Labor's debt. What is often forgotten is that along the way they paid back $50 billion in interest repayments and put $50 billion in the bank. The last Labor government to deliver a surplus was back in 1989. So anyone who is under 24 has never, ever seen a Labor government deliver a surplus in this nation. I thought it was very sad yesterday to see former Prime Minister Keating attack former Labor leader Mr Hawke. It was very sad to see such a bitter and twisted man attacking a former prime minister, especially given that former Prime Minister Hawke was actually the last Labor leader to deliver a budget surplus in this nation—albeit 24 years ago.

Debate interrupted.

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