STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

Mr PIKE (Bowman) (13:48): Spare some thought for the Treasurer. It's been nearly 50 days since he stood here at this dispatch box and handed down one of the most poorly received budgets in the history of our Commonwealth. Over the subsequent few weeks, he's really been put through the wringer.

He's faced an unprecedented backlash from small business to his CGT tax grab; he's drawn the ire of millions of Australians who rely on the private health insurance rebate, including 23,000 from my electorate of Bowman; and he's been forced into numerous humiliating backflips while wanting all those on the back bench to back him up every step of the way. He has even admitted that the grandfathered tax arrangements would vanish for a surviving spouse or divorcee taking over a joint property.

Last week, he promised to fix this. This week, he won't commit to doing so. This Treasurer has that most unfortunate of political traits.

He's got the reverse Midas touch. Everything he touches turns bad. I thought the reverse Midas touch was a skill that was unique to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, but it seems that it is a whole-of-government initiative now.

I'm sure the member for Parramatta would agree that this Treasurer has a lot of work to do, and, if he's serious about fixing this horrendous widow tax that they have allowed to creep into their budget, all I can say is I encourage them to work with the coalition to get this done as soon as possible.