Mr MIKE BAIRD (Manly) [3.44 p.m.]: I feel bad because the member for Lakemba seems like a good bloke. It must have been disappointing for such a decent bloke to be sent into the Chamber to read a speech written by someone in the spin team. Today I stand in this Chamber to talk with pleasure about an alternative vision for this State. Government members hate the budget reply. They hate the fact that, within the triple-A credit rating, we have articulated a vision to fund desperately needed infrastructure. We have looked at diversifying sources of funding and, at the same time, we have kept our triple-A credit rating intact—something that this Government has been trying to do for some time.

I am of the belief that this is what happened: Treasurer Eric Roozendaal was glued to his television set, listening to every word of the budget reply and beads of sweat started to pour down his forehead. He then ran around the room and said, "Why didn't someone tell me about that?" As each gem of an idea and each policy vision rolled out, he realised that the Leader of the Opposition, in his budget reply, had articulated exactly what he had meant to do—notwithstanding the fact that he had 12 months to put his budget together—but no-one had told him about it. He hated it with a passion. He was furious. He was kicking chairs and throwing staff members out of the office. He wanted to place responsibility for it onto someone else.

The Leader of the Opposition trumped the Treasurer. He delivered a vision to take this State forward and to tackle those issues that members of the community are seeking solutions for. People in communities across this State are asking for infrastructure. When the Treasurer presented his budget he cut infrastructure. That was his idea of a solution to the problem. The Treasurer is devoid of ideas and he is out of touch with reality. His budget was a big flop. Opposition members have spoken about the budget forecasts and they have also spoken about the mining tax. Today's incredible events led to the appointment of a new Prime Minister. Will the new Prime Minister get rid of that impost on industry in this State?

It is unbelievably disappointing that the Treasurer and the Premier of this State, who put the Labor Party first, sold out the interests of the people of New South Wales. The Premier and the Treasurer were told not to say anything about the mining tax, not to cause any ripples, to keep it low and to keep it off the agenda. They did not stand up for the people of New South Wales. To her credit Anna Bligh stood up for the people of Queensland, but our Premier and Treasurer remained quiet. I move an amendment to this motion that goes to the heart of this matter—the Government's attempt to attack the Opposition in relation to this issue. Let me give the Treasurer a lesson in accounting. I move:

That the motion be amended by leaving out all words after "That" with a view to inserting instead:

"this House congratulates the Opposition on its budget reply demonstrating how critical infrastructure can be funded within a "AAA" credit rating.

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