Alex White (Labour)

If Senator O'Malley wishes to read the ESRI report she may not like it, but we are talking about factual material which we need to understand before we can have the debate. The factual material, which is not speculative, points without question to the reality that this is a home-grown recession caused by developments over which this country, and the Government in particular, have substantial power to change. Members on the Government side may not like it but we need to face the facts first and then have the sort of debate Senator O'Toole seeks.

Second, the ESRI report's commentary makes demonstrably clear that we blew the boom.