Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

The point that I'm making is that this side of the House is cutting income taxes and getting the budget in better shape, and the member for Hume took to the last election a policy to jack up income taxes and to make deficits bigger and debt worse. That's why those opposite are baulking at him now. In every portfolio that he's held, he's failed badly and he's failed upwards. The worse he performs, the more entitled he feels to a promotion, no matter what happens. At every stage of his life, he wants everything handed to him on a silver platter, he reminds me of a famous saying. The member for Hume was born with a silver foot in his mouth!

Just when we thought that they couldn't go any lower on economic credibility, the member for Hume says, 'Hold my chardonnay.' He is a living, breathing reminder that the Liberal Party has become the party of higher income taxes, higher deficits and higher debt. He goes months without asking questions in this place. Those opposite should ask themselves if they really want him to do to their party this term what he did to their economic credibility last term.

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