Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

I congratulate you on what I believe is your first question. Welcome to this great chamber. In answer to your question, in this budget we have put forward a $4.4 billion Jobs for Families package. We have put forward a package to help families get into work, stay in work and be in work. We have put forward a package to help families get access to simpler, more affordable, more flexible child care because we understand that that helps families get into work, stay in work and be in work. What we have also said is that wherever we want to increase spending, wherever we want to increase investment in a higher priority area, given the challenges that we are facing, given the opportunities in front of us, we have got to be able to pay for it. It is a very simple proposition: if you want to spend more over here, you have got to be able to pay for it. If you do not want to add to the deficit, you have got to pay for it by spending less elsewhere. Any family around Australia understands this concept. You only have got so much money going around. If you want to increase your level of spending on one area of expenditure, you have got to reduce your spending on another area of expenditure. What we are saying to the Senate, what we are saying to the Labor Party, what we are saying to anyone is that if you want to join us in helping families get better access to more affordable, simpler, more flexible child care, then work with us on how we can pay for it. We think it is important. Do you think it is important? If you think it is important and if you are fair dinkum about it, work with us. In the end, we will be pragmatic. We are focused on the outcome. We want to do the right thing by Australia.