Senator URQUHART (Tasmania) (15:25): I rise to take note of the answer from Minister Wong on the Labor government's budget management record. Before Senator Williams leaves the chamber, I remind him that before he starts talking about the Tasmanian government being in debt, he should get his facts correct. In 1989-92 the Labor government was actually paying off the debt that was left by the Liberal government in Tasmania at that time. Economic management has been one of the highlights of this Labor government. This Labor government is getting on with the job of managing the Australian economy. Everyone in this place knows the tremendous job we did throughout the global financial crisis where Labor's fast, targeted action to stimulate the economy has seen our economy now 10 per cent larger than before the GFC. While many advanced economies are still smaller than they were before global crisis, Australia has come out of the worst financial hit since the Great Depression with an economy that is growing at a good level. As Minister Wong said during question time today, Labor is committed to doing what is required to grow our economy and we have delivered a midyear budget update that brings the budget back to a surplus. Australia has an unemployment rate that is lower and an inflation rate that is low, and this responsible fiscal management gives the Reserve Bank room to lower interest rates, if it decides to. And let us not forget that we have continued to move Australia forward while ridding our workplaces of that torrid industrial relations relic, Work Choices, that torrid system where more than four million workers lost basic protections. They were just gone. Senator Brandis: Mr Deputy President, I rise on a point of order of relevance. This is about Senator Wong's answer to my question which was specifically about the budget surplus, and more specifically about whether that statement is any longer a promise. That is the only thing the question was directed to. I know that there is a reasonable latitude given in these debates but to talk about industrial relations policy of a previous government has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the question. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Thank you, Senator Brandis. Senator Wong: On the point of order, I would remind the good senator of the content, for example, of Senator Williams's contribution, which did traverse in lengthy detail his memory of Labor governments past and former Premier Jeff Kennett. I know that Senator Brandis has a bit of a knee-jerk reaction to points of order on relevance but I humbly suggest that it is really not apposite on this occasion. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Thank you, Senator Wong. I was going to rule that Senator Urquhart is relevant in the context of the debate. Senator Urquhart you have the call. Senator URQUHART: Obviously Work Choices is a very sore point with the opposition. A generation of workers who entered that system were vulnerable, and those young workers who were not aware of their rights, Australians who did not have experience to fall back on, were the worst affected. Labor has repealed Work Choices and brought Australia through the worst financial shock since the Great Depression with an economy that is growing. Labor is managing that economy in a much more responsible manner than those opposite did. How do we know this? We know this because the Labor government has received a triple-A credit rating from all three rating agencies, a rating that those opposite could not achieve while in government. Under Labor, Australia sits with just six other countries in the world with top credit ratings, and doesn't that touched a nerve with those opposite! The facts show that Labor is actually the more fiscally responsible party, the better managers of the economy, insofar as job creation through the global financial crisis, the worst financial shock to the world economy since the Great Depression, and because we are actually a lower taxing government than those opposite were. A great fact that those opposite wish they could escape is that tax as a proportion of GDP under Labor is lower than it was under the previous coalition government. Former Prime Minister Howard and his Treasurer Costello presided over what was in fact the highest taxing government in memory. We are doing more with what we have been given than those opposite could have dreamt of doing, and we are doing it while keeping our focus on the changes needed to keep Australia competitive going forward. We put a price on carbon, the price that those opposite have almost forgotten about because it did not come with the big shock that they were so hoping it would. We are building the NBN that those opposite have opposed all the way—a network that will connect all Australians with superfast broadband, enabling more efficient provision of health and education services, as well as opening up endless opportunities for businesses. We are increasing retirement savings through superannuation reforms and boosts to the pension, whilst— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order! Senator Urquhart, whilst I ruled earlier that you were within the context of the debate, you are now straying a fair way off the mark. I will just bring you back to the substance of the debate. Senator URQUHART: I will bring it back; I intended to do that. We have not run out of steam yet. We have comprehensive policy agendas across whole of government, with plans to make Australia a fairer and better place to grow up, work, raise a family and age well in. Just this week, this Labor government has released its comprehensive Asian century white paper, and that is a framework for Australia to emerge stronger over the decades ahead by taking advantage of the opportunities offered by the Asian century. Australians look at this government's forward agenda and see a group wanting to take on the tough challenges. They see a government that has repealed that industrial relations relic, Work Choices, and a government that is committed to responsible budget management and has clear plans for Australia's future. They also see an opposition with no vision for our country's future, and that is evident today in this debate.