The Deputy PM and Treasurer Wayne Swan gave another informative budget roadshow speech today (The story behind the Budget: An inclusive Budget). Highlights include:

For the first time in our history we are situated in the right part of the world, with global economic weight moving towards us. Importantly, Asia’s re-emergence this century is not a short-run thing – it has been a long time coming, and will play out for many years to come. And it’s not just a China and India story. It’s as much about countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, and Korea. This has very big implications for our economy and brings very big opportunities for our businesses.

We’ve already seen our terms of trade reach their highest sustained level in 140 years. This is boosting incomes and driving an unprecedented investment boom. ABARES projects an extraordinary pipeline of $380 billion in resources investment – the biggest mining investment boom in our history. Right here in South Australia, BHP Billiton are looking at a dramatic expansion of Olympic Dam which would result in billions of dollars being invested in the state’s economy.