Senator O'NEILL (New South Wales) (15:07): I rise to take note of answers to questions asked by Senators Ketter and McLucas. I want to point to two of the words that we have heard throughout the week while we have been playing 'nimble, agile' bingo on this side of the chamber. This is a government that uses those words and they are going to have to practise being nimble and agile because they are dancing everywhere around the truth. They need to mind the gap between what they say here and the reality that Australians understand about this government. There is a massive credibility gap. This government cannot be believed. In anything it says, it completely distorts the truth—even in response to the first question. The GST has been very much brought to life as a conversation by a government that, once upon a time, said there would 'never ever' be a change to the 10 per cent GST—and now they have opened it up. 'Everything is on the table', they say outside this chamber. But we ask a question to the minister and he says, 'No, we're not talking about that'. Ten per cent, and up to 15 per cent, on all the things that people are already paying GST on and from zero to 15 per cent proposed for everything, including fresh food—what a devastating impact! There is a credibility gap between what they say here and what they say outside the chamber. These guys simply are not capable of telling the truth. If we in anyway needed to have that backed up, it became even more evident when Senator Katter, my good colleague here beside me, asked directly: 'Is it true what was said yesterday by the Treasury deputy secretary—that Australia is now in for a prolonged period of below par growth the likes of which we have rarely seen outside a recession?' That is the direct quote that was in the question, that is the direct quote from the speech that was given and it is the direct quote from the two articles that reported it in the paper—by Mark Coultan, in The Australian, and by Peter Martin in The Sydney Morning Herald. But do you think the fact that it was on the public record in those three places would prevent the Minister for Finance, Senator Cormann, from actually telling the truth? No. He decided that he was ready to absolutely slander other people who are telling the truth about what was said yesterday. He said that that was not accurate. Well, it absolutely was accurate and the sad reality is that it is going to have a devastating impact on Australians right across the country. As the deputy treasury secretary said, we are in fact in a prolonged period of below par growth, the likes of which we have rarely seen outside a recession—and it is attributable to the shameful economic action of this government. They are out there telling the community, as they have done for many decades, that they are great economic managers. But the reality is that growth is well below trend. It was predicted to be three per cent in May but the reality we now see is that it has been downgraded to 2.75 per cent. That is bad for Australia and it does bear out the second part of the question that my colleague asked, which was about the fact that Australians knew that we were not doing too well under the member for North Sydney, Joe Hockey, but we are going to do an awful lot worse under the new Treasurer, Mr Morrison, who is doing an appalling job from the record of these economic forecasts that were put forward yesterday. Finally, in another gilding of the lily, the MTM, the multi-technology mix, as those opposite would have us call it, which is really being translated into a disaster right across this nation— Senator Bilyk: 'Malcolm Turnbull's Mess'! Senator O'NEILL: Indeed it is, Senator Bilyk. It is a disaster. It is a sell-out. They continue to tell the Australian people they are rolling out the NBN. They are rolling out an absolute mess! There is no ubiquitous delivery of the fair and equitable access to the future that a real NBN could deliver. Questions were asked today by Senator McLucas about the HFC network possibilities. We know, from very early on, that this technology is completely inferior to fibre to the home; it is on a par with fibre to the node, and we have documented here the problems with that technology. There is a failure rate of 14 per cent—where it simply does not work. What we are seeing with the HFC rollout is another con, another sell-out, of the future technologies that Australia needs by this shameful government that has a massive credibility gap to bridge with the Australian people. We had a 17-year-old by the name of Kenneth Tsang provide a critique of the contestability problems on the HFC network—a 17-year-old can see through the disgraceful implementation of an inequitable distribution of access to the future through the NBN! We are getting a Dodgy Brothers version of the NBN instead of a real one under a government that refuses to tell the truth. (Time expired) Senator CANAVAN: It is pretty obvious what the Labor Party are going for and strategising about at the moment. It is pretty obvious that they are on a 'GST' campaign—a 'Give Shorten a Try' scare campaign! That is what they are all about at the moment. And aren't people scared! They are scared out of their pants about the potential of giving Shorten a try at running this country— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Canavan, I have let you go on a couple of occasions but we will refer to members in the other place by their correct title. Senator CANAVAN: Thank you, Mr Deputy President. I think people now understand what I am referring to. This GST campaign is scaring voters. They are extremely scared about the prospect of Mr Bill Shorten, from the other place, leading this nation. They are so scared that they have even settled on a number to estimate that particular scare—15 per cent. That is the number of people that now support the GST process that the Labor Party are putting forward. Fifteen per cent—that is what they have settled on. That is why we have heard that figure a lot from the Labor Party as well. I think some of those on the other side are getting a bit worried that this particular GST scare campaign is not working. Putting forward Mr Bill Shorten as an alternative, as a distraction tactic, may not be the best strategy going forward. There is an alternative approach from the other side—and it is not a GST scare campaign but a 'VAT' scare campaign—'Vote for Albo Tomorrow'! That is the alternative for them—have another campaign and put in Mr Anthony Albanese. That is what a few of them are talking about at the moment. Their GST scare campaign is not working, so they are going to try another one on the Australian people and see if that works—a 'VAT' scare campaign. They are going to roll out that proposal. The only ideas the Labor Party are coming up with are about who should lead them. That is what they always talk about. That is what the last five years have all been about. It is about which leader, which union hack—which particular former trade union leader—they should put forward, to the Australian people, this time. That is what their real 'year of ideas' is going to end up about. They are not talking about ideas for how we can grow our economy. They are not talking about ideas for how we can reform our tax system. They are not talking about ideas for how we can innovate and become more efficient. They are certainly not talking about ideas for how we can re-engage competition policy in this country. They are only focused on who will give them the best chance to save some of their seats, next year, at the election. This government has a different approach. This government is focused on trying to make sure we promote strong economic growth in our country. We recognise it is difficult for the Australian economy, at the moment, because we have had a terms-of-trade boom that is ending and that, naturally—without any other influence—means lower per capita growth. In the last few years we have been experiencing higher economic growth just from getting higher prices, and those higher prices are not going to continue for us. Therefore, we need to look at other ways to energise our economy. We are going to find new sources of economic growth and potential for creating jobs. We have been creating a good level of jobs over the last couple of years. It has been quite a strong labour market, which is positive, but it will become harder. As I said, the North Queensland Cowboys have done a terrific job, this year, in winning the premiership but it will be even harder for them, next year, to back up. That is the same process for our economic growth. We have done a terrific job in not having a recession, for 25 years, in this country—the second-longest period in economic history—but it is becoming harder to make sure we keep growing from that high base, as we have avoided a recession for so long. That is why we need to have these difficult discussions on tax reform. That is why we have to think about how we can strengthen our innovation policy. That is also why we need to respond to the Harper review with stronger competition laws, with reform of health education and other sectors, to grow productivity and ensure a higher level of economic growth. The reason we want that higher economic growth is not for growth in and of itself. It is not because we like seeing higher numbers in the budget every year. It is because only through that process can we make sure all Australians have the opportunity to have their own job or the confidence to start their own business, to get a loan from the bank to do so, to have the security to start their own family and make sure their own potential is fulfilled in this great nation of ours.