A key member of the Coalition's economic team should be sacked for suggesting Australia would default on its debt, the Federal Government demanded yesterday.
Opposition spokesman on finance and debt reduction Barnaby Joyce warned Australia was ''going into hock to our eyeballs to people overseas''.
''You have got to ask the question how far in debt do you want to go? We are getting to a point where we can't repay it,'' Senator Joyce said.
Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner, Treasurer Wayne Swan and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd condemned his comments.
''This is the height of irresponsibility. It is the height of risk to Australia's global economic reputation,'' Mr Rudd told Parliament.
''The Leader of the Opposition [Tony Abbott] has got two choices. One, go out and repudiate the remarks by Senator Joyce ... and two, if he has any courage whatsoever, dismiss him today.''
The Government's main line of attack is that Mr Abbott leads the ''least qualified economic team of any major political party'' for more than 30 years.
Mr Abbott rejected the suggestion, saying he had managed a $40 billion annual budget as health minister.
For more on this story and on the day in Federal politics, see today's Canberra Times.
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