Lin Thorp (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Some of the passion may have gone out of the debate, but the content and the subject is just as valid. I rise in my place to take note of answers to questions without notice from earlier in the day. I particularly want to refer to answers to questions asked by Senator Sterle in relation to the diesel fuel tax rebate and also by Senator McLucas in relation to the $7 GP tax and its impact on rural and regional health.

In almost every instance, every response we got from those on the other side was: 'All these measures are necessary because we have to fix the budget crisis.' This mantra keeps flowing from those on the other side almost ceaselessly, like a stream of consciousness. Then we had contributions from both Senator Smith and Senator Fierravanti-Wells, and they were along the same line: 'We have to do this because there's a budget crisis.' But the reality is that people know, and increasingly the broader Australian community knows, that there is no budget crisis. In fact, this is a complete fabrication. People know that the Australian economy is in a good place; in fact, it is in an enviable place.

The reason that those opposite feel it necessary to constantly talk about a budget crisis, an emergency and the need to repair the terrible damage that Labor has done is that they realise that they have absolutely no mandate for a lot of the things that they want to do, having gone into the election and told the Australian people that, on some levels, there was no light between the Liberal Party and the Labor Party when it came to attitudes to health and education. They said there would be no cuts to health and education and there would be no changes to the ABC or funding to the SBS. They said there would be no changes to pensions, superannuation or taxation. The list is almost endless. It was a constant litany of, 'We will not do this and we will not do that.' Then, straightaway after getting elected, that is exactly what those opposite proceeded to do. It must be very difficult for some of my colleagues on the other side to live with, but that is what is happening. How do they live with themselves through this? They need to create a situation that necessitates, in their minds, doing it.

They constantly refer back to the fact that the Labor Party did not have budget surpluses year after year after year. But may I remind those opposite of the events that happened globally in 2008? People do seem to have extremely short memories in this place. It was because of the actions of the Labor government, preceded by the global financial crisis that brought nations around the world to their knees. It was the economic stimulus behaviour of the Labor government, not moving to austerity and not cutting everything to the bone. It was the Labor Party which decided to go down the track of economic stimulus. That precluded the possibilities of being able to have surpluses in those following years—of course—but it saved this country and maintained its AAA credit rating globally. We are in an enviable position.

I know that the economic stimulus package worked in my state, because at the time I was heavily involved in education. The spend on Building the Education Revolution in my state was the biggest capital input into schools that the state had seen since the Second World War. It was an enormous stimulus. Whilst I have heard complaints from other jurisdictions, I can tell you that, when the audit was done on the spending of the BER in Tasmania, not only did it come out with five stars but the spend—they were allowing about 11 per cent for administration of the spending—actually came in at eight per cent, three per cent less than had been allowed. The audit report was exemplary. Those benefits are still being felt across the state, thank goodness. Thank goodness they are.

We know on this side exactly what is going on with those on that side. We know that it was our actions that made sure that this country survived the global financial crisis. That is why there were not surpluses in those outgoing years. They would have come eventually but not immediately. The only way you people—

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In fact, never.

Stephen Parry (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my right!

Lin Thorp (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Do I get extra seconds?

Stephen Parry (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No. Thank you, Senator Thorp. Your time has expired.

Question agreed to.