House debates

Wednesday, 20 October 2010

Questions without Notice

Federal Election

2:48 pm

Photo of Andrew WilkieAndrew Wilkie (Denison, Independent) Share this | | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. At the 2010 federal election, ALP candidates right around Australia made numerous specific promises about what the government would do in their electorates if Labor were returned nationally. The promises hinged on who would win government, not who would win the seat. Regardless of the results in each of those seats, do you commit to honouring the electorate-specific promises made by the Labor candidate in my seat of Denison and, for that matter, in all 150 communities represented in this place?

Photo of Julia GillardJulia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

I thank the member for Denison for his question and believe I have good news for him, which is yes, I do commit to keeping the promises at a local level that Labor and Labor candidates made at the last election, including the promises we made in the electorate of Denison. The reason I am able to say that with confidence is that during the election campaign we had a proper process of costing, which means we understood the costs of the promises that we were making. We made proper provision for them and we made proper provision for them in a context where the budget is coming back to surplus in 2012-13 and where across the election campaign our promises were matched by offsetting savings. Consequently I can say yes to the member for Denison with a degree of confidence. Of course, that is in sharp contrast to the circumstance that the opposition found itself in, with an $11 billion black hole—

Photo of Harry JenkinsHarry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Order! The Prime Minister will tread carefully.

Photo of Julia GillardJulia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

and a shadow Treasurer that could not even be bothered looking at the costings. I thank the member for Denison for his question.