Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

Unless there is an item that I have missed that specifically describes a line item for a second tranche of workplace relations advertisements, the question from the Deputy Leader of the Opposition is quite ridiculous. As I have said, no final decision has been made in relation to a second tranche of advertising. That is not difficult to understand: no final decision has been made in relation to a second tranche of advertising.

Of course it could not have been contemplated when the budget was brought down in early May because no final decision in relation to a second tranche of advertising has been made. Therefore, when you work out exactly how you are going to undertake the information campaign and what is required and demanded by the Australian public, you will seek out the appropriate funds for the expenditure in relation to that matter. Obviously that will involve dialogue between me, the Prime Minister, the Minister for Finance and Administration, the Treasurer, I expect, and a range of other people. But there is no great rocket science to that. If the Deputy Leader of the Opposition is trying to be cute about this and trying to find the angle on potential advertising, if she thinks that somehow we have buried a huge amount of gold in the budget papers, then she is wrong—because we have not made a final decision in relation to a second tranche of advertising.

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