Senator WONG (South Australia—Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate and Minister for Finance and Deregulation) (14:05): I will take the accusations about the state of the economy and the state of the budget. I refer those opposite to the comments of former Prime Minister Mr Howard— Senator Conroy: Who? Senator WONG: Mr Howard, who said: When the Prime Minister and the Treasurer and others tell you that the Australian economy is doing better than most—they are right … 'They are right.' That is from Mr Howard. It is not from any Labor person; it is from the conservative Prime Minister that Senator Abetz has said is the greatest Prime Minister ever. So perhaps, Senator Abetz, instead of playing the talking-down-the-economy negative hyperbole we see from those opposite, who do not care if they impact upon confidence, who are happy to be economically reckless, perhaps they should listen to their former leader, who has told it how it is: the economy is doing better than most. (Time expired)