Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

Where has the proud old Labor Party of Bob Hawke and Paul Keating gone? Where has the Labor Party gone that was promoting Australia as an open trading economy? Where has the party of Bob Hawke and Paul Keating gone which lowered tariffs in order to ensure that the Australian economy could be the most competitive it possibly could be internationally, which made sure that Australian businesses were able to sell high-quality Australian products and services in other parts of the world so consumers here in Australia could benefit from the competitively priced high-quality products that were coming here from other parts of the world? The Australian economy is in its 26th year of continued economic growth, and that is based on the proud reforms of the Hawke, Keating, Howard and subsequently Abbott and Turnbull governments. I know that Senator Carr wants to take Australia backwards into the period when we had a big fence around Australia. That is not the approach of the Turnbull government. We stand for an open, prosperous trading economy.(Time expired)