Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Hansard source

You could be forgiven, from listening to Senator Keneally's question, for believing that the Australian Labor Party bequeathed to this government in 2013 a position of no net debt. No, that is what the coalition bequeathed to the Australian Labor Party in 2007. The Australian Labor Party bequeathed to the Australian people and this government a position of high government debt and a budget that was in deficit. We have set about systematically repairing the budget. You will find out tonight what the updated forecasts are.

But Mr Costello is making two key points. One is: it always falls to a coalition government to pay off what Labor leave. That's the first point. The second point is: don't listen to what Labor say; look at what they did.