Cormann, Sen Mathias

Senator CORMANN (Western Australia) (14:42): Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. I ask again: given that an independent economic modeller has now revealed that the estimated revenue for the mining tax will be one-third what the government has forecast, how will the government make up the shortfall? Given yet another multibillion-dollar shortfall, how can anyone believe that Labor will deliver on its promise of a $1.5 billion surplus next financial year after a track record of $174 billion of accumulated deficits?