Mr SWAN (Lilley—Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer) (14:11): I thank the shadow Treasurer for that very important question. The fact is that we have advice from the Australian Office of Financial Management saying that they think it would be prudent to put in place a buffer. The advice and the budget papers very clearly say that at the end of each year we will be within the $250 billion debt cap. They clearly state that, but the Office of Financial Management have given the government very clear advice that we do require a buffer, for the reasons that I spoke about in the House here yesterday: because the in-year financing requirements mean that we will go over that level. Mr Hockey: Madam Deputy Speaker, on a point of order: I asked the Treasurer to answer the question about the capacity to use existing legislation rather than increase the limit again. The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Ms AE Burke ): The member for North Sydney has made his point of order. The Treasurer is answering the question. Mr SWAN: First of all, I could refer the member to the minute from the AOFM. He should take the time to read it in full. Mr Hockey interjecting— Mr SWAN: I am happy to table it; it is not a problem at all. This is a very serious issue and it is not an issue with which the opposition should be playing politics, and they know it. The fact is that we will be within the debt cap at year's end in all future years, but the AOFM have said very clearly that they would like a buffer, and that is why we are providing it. They have said this is the best way to achieve the objectives of our program. This is just very typical of the lengths to which the opposition will go to talk down our economy and to exaggerate and run scare campaigns about matters that ought to be the subject of bipartisan political agreement in this House. They really should not. These matters are far too important for the opposition to be playing the sorts of politics that they are playing. So I would refer them to the minute from the AOFM. They should take it seriously and they should desist from this sort of behaviour. The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member for North Sydney is seeking to have the Treasurer table a document, and the member for North Sydney has a supplementary question.