Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. The minister might be kind enough to level with the Australian people as to whether the budget will be in deficit at the time of the next election. But my supplementary question is: how can Prime Minister Rudd claim that he is levelling with us when the government refuses to provide basic and critical information? Why won’t the government provide the Senate with revised budget forecasts now, given the government’s expectation that the Senate will pass the legislation required to give effect to its new spending package?