Cormann, Sen Mathias

Senator CORMANN (Western Australia) (14:24): Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Given that since the election this minister has co-presided over a $33.3 billion blow-out in the budget deficit, just last financial year, and with spending as a share of GDP higher this financial year and every year of the forward estimates than the last year of the Howard government, even before taking $120 billion of unfunded spending promises into account, why should the Australian people trust this government, notorious for breaking commitments, to deliver a budget surplus in 2012-13?