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Ley and Dutton express support for Bridget Archer after rumours Liberal party could dump her
Yesterday our political editor Katharine Murphy brought you the story that a veteran party insider suggested that the Liberal party could dump outspoken moderate Bridget Archer ahead of the next federal election.
Bridget is a friend, a colleague and a terrific member for the seat of Bass. I visited her not that long ago, and she’s doing great work and she’s an amazing woman, amazing woman. And you know, Patricia how much I respond well to amazing women.
Do you think 80,000 people who’ve got more than $3m are really doing it tough?
Well, that $3 million is not indexed. That will change over time. And the principle is the thing that Australians will note.
But are they doing it tough?
I’m not here to say who’s doing it tough and who’s not doing it tough.
Australians are doing it tough, though, aren’t they? And some are obviously not doing it tough.
Well, people are doing it tough for the government that hasn’t got the fiscal policy settings right. And doesn’t understand how to manage money and doesn’t have spending constraints anywhere within its programs. In all of this conversation, we have not heard anyone say that we’re going to save money. I mean, that seems to be just a passing comment from the government. Yes, of course. People are doing tough. They’re doing it tough because they can’t pay their electricity bills. They’re doing it tough because their mortgages are going up.
But they’re not the people with more than $3 million in their super accounts.
I’m not going to comment on what individual people might be experiencing in their family budgets. The direction this government is going is one that breaks faith with the Australian people and misunderstands the sound fundamental basis, which is: it’s your money, you deserve to keep more of it.
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