Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Hansard source

I am yet to meet a state Premier or state minister who is not happy to hear promises of more money that might go to their states, so I am not at all surprised to hear state premiers or state ministers happy to hear funding coming through, although I do note that the South Australian Premier has at least been quite honest and rational in this discussion by acknowledging and recognising that those opposite might be promising more money but, of course, as we learnt from their six years in office, they have, to use Mr Weatherill's words, no 'coherent' plan of how to actually deliver that funding in the future. As the Grattan Institute has made clear, what the Labor Party are doing through their promises—through their reckless budget promises that they are making at present—is taking a severe structural budget problem and making it even worse. Those opposite, of course, are looking at leaving a legacy of enormous debt for future generations, as they did during their six years in office and as they seem intent on doing in the future. (Time expired)