Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, the minister clearly has no explanation as to why a tax increase is said to be a spending cut. I have a supplementary question. This was supposed to be a tough budget. Why then has the government failed to offset new spending in both 2010-11 and 2011-12 with savings, increasing the deficit by more than $7 billion? Is the minister aware of comments by respected economic commentator Alan Kohler that 'any decent chief financial officer would be embarrassed by this budget'?