Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the Prime Minister's statement to the House yesterday that cutting support to the orphans of war veterans was implementing an election commitment. Precisely where and when did the Prime Minister announce that this specific payment to the widows and orphans of war veterans would be cut under a callous Abbott government?

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No specific payment to veterans' families is being cut. This is simply untrue. Now for the—

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

If it assists the Prime Minister, there is a specific repeal instrument that deals exactly, exactly with what this question refers to.

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

There is no point of order. The member will resume his seat. The Prime Minister has the call.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Veterans' Children Education Scheme continues, the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act Education and Training Scheme continues. Under these schemes, eligible secondary students aged between 16 and 25 and still living at home receive fortnightly non-means tested payments.

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I raise a point of order on relevance.

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

We have already had a relevance.

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That was not on relevance.

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

In that case, what was it? It was an abuse of standing orders.

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This one is on relevance. I draw the Prime Minister's attention to the question—

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

I am sorry; I took the prior one as relevance. The member will resume her seat. The Prime Minister has the call.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Under these schemes, eligible secondary students receive non-means tested payments of between $230.70 and $277.40 per fortnight. Students living independently can receive up to $421.40 per fortnight. Payments to orphans are up to $512 per fortnight. In addition to that, a special financial assistance payment of up to $4,000 a year is also payable and up to $2,000 in additional tuition fees can also be funded. We were absolutely up-front that the income support bonus was going.

Opposition members: When?

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

There is too much noise on my left.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We were absolutely up-front about the fact that the income support bonus was going. If I may say so, we were quite bold before the election, because we said that we were going to remove a payment that went to 1.2 million people.

Opposition members interjecting—

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

There is too much noise on my left. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will desist.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Maybe members opposite did not notice but we said that this particular payment that goes to 1.2 million people was going. So we were absolutely—

Mr Champion interjecting—

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

The member for Wakefield will remove himself under standing order 94(a).

The member for Wakefield then left the chamber—

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We were absolutely up-front that the income support bonus was going.

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When did you tell people?

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Repeatedly. We also told—

Mr Thistlethwaite interjecting—

Maybe the Leader for the Opposition was out to lunch, but it was our policy to remove the income support bonus.

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

The member for Kingsford Smith will desist.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What we said we would do before the election we will do after the election.

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to table a statement from the state president of the RSL who did not know about—

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

I call the Leader of the House. Leave is not granted. The member for Dobell has the call.