Luke Simpkins (Cowan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

) ( ): My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer update the House on the state of the economy, and what measures is the government taking to improve productivity in my home state of Western Australia?

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question and I note that, on every indicator that we inherited from the previous government, Australia has been lagging behind many others in the world.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Oh, Labor has such a proud record! $123 billion of deficit—that's a great record!

Opposition members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Treasurer will resume his seat.

Mr Hockey interjecting—

The Treasurer will resume his seat.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was on a roll!

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Treasurer may be on a roll, but so is the noise level in the chamber, and it will kindly desist. Otherwise, some people might find themselves outside. The Treasurer has the call—

Ms Owens interjecting—

and the member for Parramatta is warned!

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And, of course, the Labor Party left us over the last five years with economic growth at below trend. What does that mean? It means that 200,000 Australians have lost their jobs.

Mr Swan interjecting—

I see there is an interjection from the member for Lilley, who has a very nice suntan. He has been spending a lot of time explaining how good he was to the rest of the world.

Dr Chalmers interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Rankin will remove himself under 94(a).

The member for Rankin then left the chamber.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am sure that during that explanation, which must have gone on for a lengthy one-week period—

Ms Collins interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Franklin will remove herself under 94(a).

The member for Franklin then left the chamber.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Lilley, who was the architect of the mining tax, who was the architect of the carbon tax, who oversaw an economy that over five years had four years of below-trend growth—

Mr Watts interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Gellibrand will join the other two and remove himself as well.

The member for Gellibrand then left the chamber.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Lilley, who said he would deliver a surplus not once, not twice but 321 times, did not deliver one single surplus, but he put a newsletter around his electorate saying he had actually delivered a surplus. I love you, Swannie; come back!

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I rise on two points of order: one under standing order 104(a) and, second, referring to members by their title. The Treasurer is a serial offender.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I request the Treasurer refer to members by their proper titles.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Lilley, former Treasurer—the world's greatest, apparently—

Honourable members interjecting—

No, no, don't humour him; I'm trying to encourage him! The fact is he was the architect of the mining tax that is now being debated in the Senate.

Ms Owens interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Parramatta will remove herself under 94(a).

The member for Parramatta then left the chamber.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I say to the member for Lilley, as I say to the Leader of the Opposition: do not go to Perth and tell them how much you hate that mining tax and then come back here and vote against repealing it. I say to the Leader of the Opposition: be consistent from one side of the continent to the other. Come back here, vote against the mining tax and give the people of Western Australia a chance to have more jobs.