I thank the member for Malvern for his question, but clearly he is not only geographically challenged; he is also historically challenged. Perhaps he has forgotten that we gave a very clear commitment to Victorians that we would have a debate about debt and a very clear commitment that we would keep the AAA. Might I make it clear: in saying that will keep the AAA, Standard & Poor’s has only just recently — as recently as Friday — made it clear that we have a very well managed economy and a very strong economy. I wonder under whose management that was — clearly ours, because those opposite went to an election in 2010 saying they were going to reduce debt. What did they do? As a percentage of the economy, it went from 2.5 per cent to 6 per cent.

…….

It does become a little strange when you have to refer to the actual document. Here it is. Standard & Poor’s has nothing but glowing praise for the way that the Victorian economy is being managed:

… the state’s very strong financial management and economy, and its exceptional liquidity.

It goes on to say:

The ratings also reflect Victoria’s strong budgetary performance —

our budget —

and low contingent liabilities.

You could not get it more emphatically explained that those opposite went around increasing state debt and building absolutely nothing. They put the economy to sleep, they increased debt, they reduced hope and they massively increased unemployment, yet they have the audacity to come into this place and try to give us a lecture about debt and economic management. These are the wreckers of the Victorian economy. These are the people who got a full and frank character assessment from the Victorian people at the last election. That character assessment said, ‘We don’t need no shonky side deals. We certainly don’t need a government that is afraid of the judgement of the people and hides material from them’. We are open, we are honest and we are frank with Victorians, and they have every right to expect that what they get from this government will be an honouring of all our commitments.