Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Mr President. I cannot possibly answer a question about the economic growth in Australia without actually comparing the two alternative policy agendas that were put forward to the Australian people. Under our agenda of lower taxes—pro growth, pro opportunity, pro aspiration—the economy continues to grow. Under the alternative, the economy would have been weaker and Australians would have been poorer. And in Australia, compared with other countries around the world, we actually do continue to grow. As the Reserve Bank governor also said, growth is expected to strengthen into the future. Have you looked at our employment growth? It is more than twice the growth rate across the OECD economies. There is more than twice the growth rate in employment, compared with the OECD average. But the Labor Party doesn't want to talk about the impact of their policies compared with ours, because they are deeply embarrassed about the fact that the Australian people have rejected their socialist agenda. (Time expired)