John Williams (NSW, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

We have got Senator Conroy interjecting again—dear oh dear. We will just disregard the interjections. I will talk to you, Deputy President. They want to go into the next election with this huge carbon tax, this huge price on carbon because that is not going to affect the price of electricity. As Senator Polley said, people have to go to bed in their electric blankets to keep warm. Those opposite would tax our electric blankets; that is their plan. Haven't they learnt? Who is running their tactics? It is probably Senator Conroy running the tactics for the opposition, hence the pathetic attack and the scaremongering they are going on with.

Senator Polley talked about these huge cuts on health spending by the government. It is quite amazing that when the opposition were in government and they knew they were going to lose the election, they made this enormous promise about all this spending on health and education knowing full well they were going to lose the election. They brought back Kevin Rudd to try and save the furniture when they sacked Prime Minister Julia Gillard. They went into this huge promise knowing full well they would never have to budget for it and never have to deliver it.

I am on a health inquiry with Senator Deb O'Neill at the moment. I was in Sydney last week. We just gave a 12.7 per cent increase this financial year to New South Wales for hospital spending. With 7.5 per cent next year, that is over 20 per cent in two years, and those opposite are saying we are cutting the spending in health. It is quite amazing that we are actually delivering it.

When you talk about the scaremongering of raising the GST, there is only one person in Australia who has said we should raise the GST and that is Mr Jay Weatherill, the Premier of South Australia. The Labor Premier of South Australia said, 'Let's raise it to 15 per cent.'

Opposition senators interjecting—

I say to those opposite—when I can get a word in from Senator Conroy—if only you understood business. This is what happens in business: if you are running a business and you have got a debt, the best way to pay for that debt or decrease it is to grow your business.

Senator Conroy interjecting—

You would not understand about business, Senator Conroy, because you have probably just been around the union movement most of your life like all your colleagues over there. They are all out of the union movement. The only thing you ever sold in your life was a union ticket.