Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Joyce for the question. He will forgive me if I do not take him terribly seriously when he quotes figures involving billions of dollars, but I have never sought to become finance minister myself. The opposition seem to be desperately searching around for an argument about debts without actually analysing the budget or analysing the reaction of all of the senior economic commentators on the budget. Everyone else recognises that the government is repaying the debt three years early. It is expected that we will see the budget return to surplus three years ahead of schedule in 2012-13, well before—