Senator McCARTHY (Northern Territory) (15:13): I just want to pick up on a few things Senator Reynolds spoke about in terms of understanding the fiscal responsibility on behalf of the taxpayer. Senator Reynolds, I think what you are missing completely here in terms of members opposite is that when you keep removing things from the taxpayer—from the average Australian in this country—you really are missing out on the fairness test. You keep removing things. I go back to the 2014 budget, because that is where it really began in terms of many of our organisations across the country and in particular for Indigenous organisations, with a cut of half a billion dollars to Aboriginal and Islander services across Australia. We have seen an increase in socially irresponsible decisions by the members opposite. We have seen the levels of joblessness and homelessness rise right across this country, and in particular in our regions. When we look at the mess of CDP and the problems that our communities are facing without the ability to have money available to feed their families, we are talking about real hunger, we are talking about people who do not have the money to pay for food for their children. This is how very real and hard these cuts are already impacting and have been for a number of years. So what happens when you just keep squeezing and squeezing to remove what we know are the basic human rights for most of our Australians across this country? In terms of the question that was put to Senator Brandis this afternoon from Senator Farrell, the real question is: is the government walking away from its $50 billion company tax cuts? There are certainly reports in the media that the government is walking away from it and today in question time, we have the same. On 4 May 2016, the Prime Minister said— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Thank you Senator McCarthy, just a moment. Senator Brandis: A point of order, Madam Deputy President. That is a flagrant misrepresentation. I was asked a direct question and I gave a one-word answer. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Brandis, that is a debating point, thank you. Please resume your seat. Senator Brandis interjecting— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Please resume your seat. Senator McCARTHY: On 4 May 2016, the Prime Minister said: Ensuring that our company tax rate is competitive, ensuring that it is competitive with other economies, particularly those in our region, is absolutely critical to attract the investment into businesses in Australia. Yet today, it seems that the government may be about to change its mind. On 9 September last year, when asked to name his greatest achievement since deposing former Prime Minister Tony Abbot, Prime Minister Turnbull said 'reforms to business tax', and yet here we are wondering in the Senate if it was all just another thought bubble. Labor has never supported the company tax cuts. We certainly made it clear last year after this was announced, throughout the election campaign and through to today that we do not support this $50 billion dollar ramraid to the budget to deliver tax cuts to big business. The government's plans for this have been a case study into its fiscal and economic mismanagement, clearly defining the lack of leadership displayed by the current Prime Minister and the current Treasurer of Australia. The 2016-17 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook released only a few days before the Christmas break showed this clearly. It showed deficits blowing out by another $10 billion over the forward estimates since the budget. The deficit for this financial year, since the government's first budget, has more than tripled. The net debt for this financial year has blown out by $100 billion since this government took office. That is more than $4,000 for every Australian. The projected surplus for 2020-21 has shrunk to $1 billion, leaving us all in the danger zone when it comes to our much coveted AAA credit rating. I will add that this government has been a failure on the economy all over—a negative quarter of economic growth, just the fourth in more than 100 quarters, 34,000 full-time jobs lost last year, stagnating living standards and record low wages growth. This government totally walks away from everything. It is certainly walking away from what it took to the election and it is doing the same as always, even with 18C.