Barry Wakelin (Grey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Treasurer. Would the Treasurer outline to the House information released today on business expectations and new lending? What does this data indicate about the need for careful economic management?

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Before I call the Treasurer, the members on my left are making far too much noise—

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Gillard interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

including the Manager of Opposition Business.

Peter Costello (Higgins, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for Grey for his question. I can inform him that the NAB released its business survey in January 2006. It showed a significant moderation, with trading conditions losing most of the gain that they had in December. Capacity utilisation fell significantly and forward orders weakened. However, the business confidence index—an indication of business activity in the month ahead—improved slightly, by 10 points, and confidence levels remain above the 2005 average and the long-term average. ABS lending finance data was also released today and shows that commercial finance fell in December, although there was a very large increase in the month of November. Personal finance increased by 1.9 per cent, but, despite that, it was 3.3 per cent lower throughout the year.

Also adding to confidence and economic prospects in the economy was the Australian Unity wellbeing index, the happiness index, which was released yesterday. I just want to say a big congratulation to the member for Wide Bay, the happiest kingdom in Australia. Of course, I visited that electorate last year—

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Minister for Transport and Regional Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, you did.

Peter Costello (Higgins, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

shortly before the index was taken, I think. Not that there is any connection, but if anybody else would like to get their way up the index, I am available. I did notice that in the bottom 11 of the happiness index was the seat of Hotham. There is a lot of unhappiness in Hotham at the moment. I do not know where the member for Hotham is, but I did read in the paper that he is knocking on the doors of branch members in the electorate of Hotham—wouldn’t that give you a shock?—trying to save his preselection, while the Leader of the Opposition presides over the exit from parliament of his one-time deputy and one-time leader. It is not enough to depose him; he now wants him out of the parliament. One Labor member in Glenn Milne’s column yesterday—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Treasurer will resume his seat. There is far too much noise.

Duncan Kerr (Denison, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Kerr interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Denison is warned!

Peter Costello (Higgins, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

One Labor member in Glenn Milne’s column yesterday described this unloading of the member for Hotham by the Leader of the Opposition as ‘a gutless hitbag’.

Kim Beazley (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Apart from the fact that it is completely wrong, it is a case of pure projection. It is what the Treasurer is trying to do to the member for Bennelong.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member will resume his seat. There is no point of order. The Treasurer will resume his seat; he does not have the call.

Roger Price (Chifley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. How do preselections come under the purview of the Treasurer in an answer to a question?

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Chief Opposition Whip will be well aware that questions to the Speaker will come after question time, and they will be relevant to the responsibilities of the Speaker.

Roger Price (Chifley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order of relevance. There is one standing order governing answers, Mr Speaker, and I am raising it; it is relevance.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Chief Opposition Whip has now made clear what his point of order really was. I will call the Treasurer; he is still in order.

Peter Costello (Higgins, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I am talking about confidence and happiness and the unhappiness in the electorate of Hotham over the Leader of the Opposition unloading their much beloved member. The Leader of the Opposition has just come to the dispatch box and said it is not true, but he could issue one statement—

Chris Bowen (Prospect, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. If this is relevant, surely the foreign minister’s attack on the member for Kooyong is relevant.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member will resume his seat. There is no point of order.

Peter Costello (Higgins, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Described in the Glenn Milne column yesterday as ‘a gutless hitbag’—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker—

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Grayndler has the call.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise on a point of order on relevance. I have paid close attention to this happiness survey, this discredited happiness survey—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Grayndler will resume his seat.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

and the Treasurer’s answer—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Grayndler will not debate the point of order.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

has nothing to do with the question.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member will resume his seat! I will rule on his point of order. I call the Treasurer, and in calling the Treasurer I ask him to come back to the question.

Peter Costello (Higgins, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, one of the ways that confidence could be promoted in the electorate of Hotham is by the Leader of the Opposition, far from being pathetic, getting behind the member for Hotham and telling the faceless men to lay off him!

Kim Beazley (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, to be described as politically gutless by the Treasurer is really pretty rich!

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. If the Leader of the Opposition wishes to ask a question, he will get straight to his question.