Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

So the point is clear. The challenge is crystal clear: our country faces a very serious budget emergency, a very, very serious budget dilemma that does not affect my future but affects the future of young Australians, the future of your children and your grandchildren. But what we have from the Labor opposition is denial. They do not want to talk about it. They do not believe it exists. As I said, we have had the head of Treasury. We have had Warwick McKibbin in the Australian Financial Review. We have had the IMF. We have had the OECD. And you want to pretend that there is no problem. You come into this place talking about concern for illegal immigrants. That is an illusion. You come into this place talking about concern for veterans. That is an illusion. You come into this place and talk about concern for superannuants. That is all an illusion. Where is the compassion, where is the concern, for all the lives lost at sea? Where is the concern for the budget position of future Australians?

If I had more time available to me in this brief opportunity, I would reflect on the ALP campaign review and share with people why it is that Labor now finds itself in opposition, why it was that Labor failed at the last federal election—because it did not listen to the concerns and needs of Australians. (Time expired)