Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is always good of the Labor Party to move a motion to take note of specific answers because what it highlights to the Australian people is the lack of depth and lack of substance in relation to the Labor Party's approach to all issues of public policy. What it shows us is that the Australian Labor Party has no plan and no vision for our great country. What they're able to do is throw a lot of stones from the sidelines without providing any genuine answers or policy prescriptions to deal with the issues confronting our nation. And so we had this bizarre question time today—all sorts of were issues raised, but there was no theme or coherence other than throwing stones, whereas on this side of the chamber the Australian people heard questions about international security—the threat from North Korea, a matter of genuine substance and a matter of genuine concern to the Australian people.

We as a government are getting on with the issue of national security. We are getting on with the issue of economic security. When we're talking of economic security, we are talking about ensuring that we are getting the budget deficit back into shape and getting it down to zero so that we can then start paying back the debt—a legacy of Labor. I note that there are schoolchildren watching this particular debate. The legacy that the Australian Labor Party has left them and all their fellow schoolchildren, right around Australia, is a legacy of deficit and debt that they will be repaying through—