Senator MURRAY (10:12 AM) —I must say, I am a little surprised. Senator Cook knows that I hold both him and his arguments in high regard. I have had a great deal of experience with him and as a consequence I have developed that regard. But in this instance I am surprised because the Labor Party has had a position where it has voted against a wide range of major budget items. I recall the debate after the 1996 budget.

I supported you when you voted against the R&D tax concession, the superannuation high income earners surcharge and changes to HECS, all of which were major budget items. I would think that the Treasurer (Mr Reith) is absolutely joyful listening to you over there because I think you have just given him the GST. Surely if the GST comes through as a budget measure you will then be obliged on your principle to support it. I am starting to get into an intellectual and political morass here which I cannot find my way out of. I would have thought it was the job of an opposition to oppose bad policy and to support good policy.

If I can offer you a lifeline, Senator Cook, one of the things which perhaps you as the Deputy Opposition Leader could do would be to assure the Senate and the people of Australia that if you return to government you will introduce means testing of this measure and change the law as soon as you can to restore equity—and not give away a billion dollars in what may be loosely described as a rort for the wealthy and better off, who do not really need it and who do not deserve it in this instance.