Barnaby Joyce (Queensland, National Party, Shadow Minister for Finance and Debt Reduction) Share this | Hansard source

Or they can understand it but they are terrified by what it says. More to the point, why is there strategic leaking by the Labor Party of sections of this report? How do you possibly manage to put the statement of a fiscal conservative hand in glove with the leaking of details of the major revenue-obtaining item of the government? Why don’t you just have the fortitude and the decisiveness to release this report? Now Mr Swan, in his latest contribution to ACCI, said they will definitely release it by 11 May. Surprisingly enough, that is budget day. They will have it released by the day of the budget. They said it was going to be released early in the year. Has May now become early in the year? As far as the Labor Party is concerned, the middle of the year has now become early in the year. This is the height of imprudence by the Labor Party. This is the height of irresponsibility by the Labor Party. Major questions are being put by our major exporters. Don Argus is on the record clearly stating that he has serious concerns. This concern is being fanned by the flames of the uncertainty that has been brought about by the Labor Party.

Our good friends in the fourth estate are starting to ask serious questions about why the Labor Party has been so coy about releasing a major document. What do people in the press gallery need to do? When do they get their chance to go through this document? The Australian public have a right to know what is in it. Are you going to go forward with the Henry tax review? Every day these questions have to be asked. Are you serious about this? Are you going to withdraw it? What is the purpose of the Henry tax review if no-one gets to see it? It has been about 85 days now. What on earth are you doing with it? Has this become a new form of origami? What is the purpose of this document? Does the paper come in soft crunching forms to be used around other sections of Mr Swan’s office? What are you up to? The nation is fascinated. Has the Henry tax review become an elaborate doorstop? Is it now being used by Dr Henry to entice hairy nosed wombats from their burrow? Maybe it is ceiling insulation. We know we have paper for ceiling insulation. Who would know with this crowd, the Australian Labor Party? What exactly has happened to this premier financial document of the nation?

This is a crowd that is financially out of control. This is a crowd that is racking up debt on a trajectory never seen before. This is a crowd that has no control over finances. This is a crowd that is putting upward pressure on interest rates. This is a crowd that owes money to every man, woman and child everywhere else in the world. This is a crowd that is a huge financial risk to our nation. It is there for all to see. Their critique of management is no better exemplified than in the Home Insulation Program. The same management critique that brought a national disaster out of putting fluffy stuff in the ceiling is now being given to the Henry tax review.