We do better with a small deficit. When there is a surplus the party in power directs money to where it will pick up the most votes - not where it is most needed. With a deficit they are not as free to do that sort of thing. A surplus means your taxes are used to buy elections.

Its still far more believable than ANYTHING that comes out of the mouths of the liars in the lying liars party.
You liars that support the lying liars party have nothing but lies and hypocrisy to offer.

Both parties have promised a return to surplus.
Both parties have previously promised a return to surplus but failed to deliver it.

In 2010, Labor promised a surplus "come hell or high water". This time they're being more sensible, prioritising economic growth.

And who could forget Joe Hockey's "emphatic" commitment to "a surplus in the first year and every year after that"?

Australia is a sovereign currency issuer with a floating currency, so (as long as the government sticks to its current policy of only borrowing in Australian dollars) we can never run out of money. Therefore I don't consider the timing of our return to surplus important. It's something that will be required sometime in the future to keep our interest rates low, but as they're already at record lows it really shouldn't be a priority.

However if I had to pick which party's plan to return to surplus is more credible, there's no doubt in my mind that it's Labor, for two reasons:
Firstly, the Libs' company tax cut will result in more money going overseas, which will make it harder to achieve a surplus here.
Secondly, when the private sector is weak, tightening fiscal policy weakens it further. This will decrease tax revenue and delay a return to surplus. Labor's plan of a higher initial deficit will giver the private sector more opportunity to grow before fiscal policy is tightened, making it much easier to sustain a tightening.

This has echos of the Global Warming argument.
It does not matter who may seem to have the correct policy they are
both going the wrong way.

At a moment in the next few years, and don't ask me how many ?, we will
run into the next GFC. You might notice that oil production is falling
and the price is rising. If the price gets up near $US100 then the
economy will start closing down and in Australia at least will cause
a property price collapse.

The effect in Europe will be a decline in interest rates from near
zero to perhaps -2% or -3%.

The magic price seems to be US$80 as that is Saudi's break even price.

Has Butch learned how to spell all of a sudden or do we have a ring in.
Bazz stay away from those conspiracy magazines.

Neither major party has been honest with voters about
Australia's revenue problem.

The following link explains:

http://newmatilda.com/2016/06/09/labors-first-big-mistake-of-the-campaign/