Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Mackellar, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Seniors) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to her statement that the Labor Party is the party of truth telling. I remind her that 10 days before she deposed the member for Griffith she said any suggestion of a leadership challenge was absolutely absurd, that during the election campaign she said the idea of doing deals with the Greens was absolutely ridiculous and that with respect to the carbon tax she said, 'There will be no carbon tax under a government I lead.' Prime Minister, how can Australians believe anything that you say?

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We see a continuation of the opposition's strategy. We see it on display every day. I have referred to the Leader of the Opposition in the past as coming into this place with a mouth full of insults and no ideas for the nation's future, and we are seeing a continuation of that strategy today. Whilst the opposition engage in their politics of stunt and carry-on, which we have seen across this parliamentary week as much as we have seen across other parliamentary weeks, we will leave them with these debates that they think are interesting in this parliamentary chamber.

What really drives me and drives this government is matters beyond this chamber that make a difference to the lives of Australian families. I do not take too many questions from the opposition about jobs. I do not take too many questions from the opposition about health. I do not take too many questions from the opposition about education and getting a future for Australia's children. I do not take too many questions from the opposition about broadband and having the infrastructure of the future. I do not take too many questions from the opposition about bringing the budget back to surplus.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Mackellar, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Seniors) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order. In the context of the new paradigm to answer directly, this is an opportunity for her to defend herself, which she refuses to do on censure motions. So I ask her to address the question: why should we believe her on anything she says?

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Prime Minister has the call.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I was saying, I do not take too many questions from the opposition about bringing the budget to surplus. I certainly do not take any questions from the member for Mackellar about the circumstances of older Australians. And I have certainly never heard an explanation from her as to why it took this government, this Labor government, to deliver a historic pension increase and why she was a member of a government that never delivered a historic pension rise. I certainly do not hear from the member—

Opposition members interjecting—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister will resume her place until the House comes to order. The Prime Minister has the call. The Prime Minister will be heard in silence.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have certainly never taken a question from the member for Mackellar about superannuation earnings and decent retirement incomes for working Australians—something of course we are committed to; lifting superannuation from nine per cent to 12 per cent and using some of the proceeds of the minerals resource rent tax to do what government need to do to make that policy change possible. I would have thought, representing older Australians in this place, she might have a care and concern about retirement incomes. But, of course, we do not ever see the opposition ask questions about things that require thinking and policies and plans and budgeting and having a vision for the nation's future. We never hear them ask questions about those things because they do not do any thinking, they do not have any positive plans, they have never done any budgeting and they do not have any vision for the nation's future. Instead, day after day, they go out with relentless negativity that ultimately costs Australian families. If you are in the business of smashing the budget surplus, you are costing Australian families. If you are in the business, as the opposition is, of voting against positive changes in health and education, then your negativity is costing Australians families.

Opposition members interjecting—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The House will come to order!

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If you are in the business of ripping the National Broadband Network out of the ground, then your relentless negativity is costing Australian families. At some point the Leader of the Opposition will need to rethink this strategy of relentless negativity. Whilst he does so, we will get on with the job.