In my maiden speech I talked of a nation that had lost its confidence and its way. Our economy was a basket case with high unemployment, rampant inflation, and high debt. Our best and brightest were leaving in droves. I do not wish to diminish our current challenges, but we are a much better country today. I caution those in Government who wish to decry the reforms of that era when they've been the foundations for the much more successful and resilient nation we are today. I worry that this year's Budget has public debt ballooning out to $200 billion and back up near 50 percent of GDP, as it was when I was first elected. Imposing the workplace policies of the 1970s is not the answer to the challenges of the 2020s.