Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Banking and Financial Services) Share this | Hansard source

I will take that interjection. These were truly outrageous comments by the Liberal shadow finance minister in Tasmania, blaming the victims, blaming the poor, struggling—in this case, Tasmanian—mortgage borrowers. They are responsible; that was the line from Mr Whiteley, the Liberal Party shadow minister. Just how out of touch can Liberal shadow ministers and ministers be when they allege that it is the poor, suffering householder who has borrowed money who is responsible? Because they are irresponsible, according to Mr Whiteley. They were quite appalling comments, and I hope that others in this debate distance themselves from these particularly unfortunate—