Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Assistant Minister for Defence. I refer the assistant minister to his earlier response that the Parliamentary Budget Office figures were wrong. The head of the PBO, Mr Phil Bowen, has told a Senate estimates committee this afternoon that these figures are factually based and they are based on the salaries and wages budget estimates for the Department of Defence and arms of the services. Given that these figures are factually based, when will the assistant minister admit that the money is already in the budget and his government still wants to cut the pay and conditions of Australian soldiers?

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