QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Senator GALLAGHER (Australian Capital Territory—Minister for Finance, Minister for the Public Service, Minister for Women, Minister for Government Services and Manager of Government Business in the Senate) (14:24): I thank Senator Whiteaker for waking the chamber up and for that question. I appreciate it being on our approach to managing the budget responsibly, to paying down debt, to lowering the interest payments on that debt, to making sure that we're delivering services that the Australian community need and expect, and to finding savings at the same time.

I must say that those opposite don't like it when they have to engage with the facts. Senator GALLAGHER: I can hear Senator Hume. We are not going to take lectures from the coalition on fiscal management.

We're not going to do that when, just a day after they discharged and therefore opposed the private health insurance save, they have an additional $3 billion that they will need to find in addition to all of the other commitments they have already made in the last 12 months that they will have to fund and that they will have to find. We know they went to the last election promising bigger deficits, higher taxes and more debt.

We know that that was the signature move of Mr Taylor and Senator Hume—bigger deficits, higher debt and increased taxes. It was an unusual policy for a Liberal Party to take to an election, but that's what they did. And that's where they're heading this time, because that's what they did yesterday when they discharged the private health insurance bill, which was proposing a sensible save for a reinvestment in aged care that is needed as well.

We will continue to take the responsible approach, finding those savings those opposite were never able to do, delivering those improved budget bottom lines that, again, those opposite were never able to do and ensuring that the services that Australians need are delivered. (Time expired)