Ted O'Brien (Fairfax, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We do not need to 'make Australia great again', but we do need to make Australia competitive again. For Australia to get back on top, to maintain our way of life and our standard of living, and for our prosperity, safety and security, we must restore our competitive edge.

As a medium-sized, open, free-market liberal democracy, operating in a highly integrated and volatile world, we must restore our competitive edge, because on that will depend our success. We need to make Australia competitive again by returning the budget to balance, arresting the debt, restoring productivity in the workplace, rewarding free enterprise and unshackling it from regulation, reclaiming our position as one of the lowest-taxing nations in the OECD and rebuilding our competitive advantage in cheap and reliable energy.

Anything less will lead to a slow but relentless slide into international mediocrity—something this nation cannot afford. We on this side of the House are already making Australia competitive again. The question is whether we will continue to go it alone or those on the other side will see the light and join us.