Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

It was not means tested then it was means tested. There is a legacy here of knee-jerk reactive policy decisions that are based not on a long-term economic overview but on the short-term political spin cycle. Can I simply say that we as a coalition are very concerned about the mismanagement of the economy by the current government.

In response to the comment by Senator Collins that ‘Everybody supports the need for this type of package’, can I say with great respect that recently in the New York Times there was an advertisementsigned by 200 economists, including three Nobel laureates—not Johnny-come-latelies in relation to the economic debate—being critical of the Obama package. The Obama package, as with every other package in the world, includes tax cuts—not included in this package. Funding for innovation for the future, which is a genuine investment for the future, is in all the other packages—not included in the Australian package. And that is on the back of the stupid, short-sighted decision of the government to axe the Commercial Ready program in the last budget. In relation to Senator Sherry’s comment about Ms Bishop, can I say that comments taken out of context do not build you up as a minister or as a contributor to parliamentary debates. I do not think Senator Sherry did himself or, indeed, the government’s case any benefit in relation to that.

I cannot help but ask Senator Milne, albeit rhetorically, whether or not the pelmets that she is suggesting might be made out of wood, and if they were to be made out of wood I would be interested to know where that wood might be harvested from. But that is just a rhetorical flourish.