Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. Is it the case that the Treasurer's electorate of North Sydney has one of the highest bulk-billing rates in Australia?

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

The national rate is 82.9 per cent. At various times, North Sydney has been quite high. It is not high at the moment. I will tell you why.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

You have asked the question.

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

Why is that funny?

Ms Kate Ellis interjecting—

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

The member for Adelaide. There will be silence on my left. The Treasurer has the call.

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

You know, once upon a time the Labor Party wanted to introduce a co-payment for Medicare. Once upon a time, the Labor Party had some principles. But the Labor Party does not have any principles because they have a leader who is entirely inconsistent. What we have inherited is a Medicare system—

Ms Macklin interjecting—

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

The member for Jagajaga.

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

that is growing at 6.1 per cent per annum. The Labor Party left us with an economic and fiscal mess. They left us with a mess, and the Labor Party does not want to do anything that will help us to fix the mess they created. There is no evidence greater than that provided by the Shadow Treasurer today.

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

I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker.

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

Has the Treasurer finished his answer?

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

No.

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

The Manager of Opposition Business.

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

It is on direct relevance, Madam Speaker: questions do not come more specific than that one.

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

I give the call to the honourable the Treasurer, and he will be mindful of the question.

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

That is right: there is no better evidence than that given by the shadow Treasurer today. He said: 'You can fix the budget if you just accept our $21 billion of savings.' Well, their $21 billion of savings includes the reintroduction of the carbon tax. That is part of their $21 billion in savings. And their $21 billion of savings includes an estimated $3.3 billion from a mining tax that raises no money.

Ms Macklin interjecting—

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

The member for Jagajaga will desist or leave, one or the other!

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

All the other things that make up the rest of the $21 billion of so-called savings that Labor is proposing to fix the mess that they created include tax increases that the Treasury themselves said were undeliverable. Why? Because they were designed and drafted in the member for Lilley's office before the last budget and they in fact cannot raise a dime. So, true to form, the Labor Party says it has all the solutions, but, true to form, it has no solutions. It only creates problems and expects everyone else to fix them.

I say to the Leader of the Opposition: the coalition is up for fixing the budget, the coalition is up for fixing the economy and the coalition is up for fixing the mess that Labor created.

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

I call the honourable member for Berowra.

Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker—

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

I have called the honourable member for Berowra—you were not quick enough. The member for Berowra has the call.