George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

What we are trying to explain to all senators and to all of the Australian people is that unless we get the budget under control it is not in the national interest, because they will be not enough money for future generations to fund decent social welfare provisions and all of the other things that the nation needs. Senator, you have consistently voted in this chamber against budget savings. Through you, Mr President, you, Senator Brown, and those who sit behind you, have consistently voted in this chamber against budget savings, including budget savings that you yourself had booked in the 2016 election. So, Senator Carol Brown, we know what the Labor Party's attitude is to budget savings. To promise them in the election campaign and then vote against them in the chamber and prevent the government from taking the measures that are necessary to bring the budget back into balance, that is your approach.

Well, Senator Brown, on our side of the chamber we take a very different approach. We do not spend money that we cannot offset with savings—