Senator ABETZ (Tasmania—Leader of the Government in the Senate, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service and Minister for Employment) (14:05): I am not going to get into the semantics as to whether something is a tax rise, whether it is a levy. What I can accept and what I will accept it is that a greater burden will be placed on the Australian people to repay the damage occasioned by the Australian Labor Party and the Greens. Honourable senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Resume your seat, Senator Abetz. Order! Senator Abetz, continue. Senator ABETZ: I am in fact acknowledging that what Mr Howard said is very appropriate in the circumstances, because what I have said to those opposite is, 'I will not play the semantics.' I have been here 20 years. Some people say tax rise; some people say levy; some people say surcharge. I accept that there will be an extra burden on the Australian people. We regret that, but we have to do it to repay the debt from Labor. (Time expired)