QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Senator WONG (South Australia—Minister for Foreign Affairs and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (14:52): I have been in this chamber for a number of years and I have listened to Senator Gallagher make that point precisely, that interest payments are one of the largest components of expenditure in the budget and why it was so important that Labor delivered the surpluses that we delivered and ensured we had a lower trajectory on debt than we inherited.

Senator, it is true—yes, we do live in a time where we know, with the ageing of the population and the nature of the demands that are rightly made of government, fiscal sustainability is a challenge. I would make the point to you that the Treasurer, Treasurer Chalmers, and the Minister for Finance, Minister Gallagher, have handed down budgets that include two budget surpluses.

(Time expired) The PRESIDENT: Senator Sharma, a second supplementary?