Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. I remind the Treasurer that the government expects to collect $10.5 billion from the carbon tax in 2015 based on a price of $29 a tonne. With the European carbon price now trading at less than $5 a tonne, does he stand by that forecast?

Mr Albanese interjecting—

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the House is warned.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question. My answer is very clear: we will update all these forecasts in the forthcoming budget. But I am only too happy to talk about the Australian economy and the forthcoming budget. When you listen to those opposite, all you hear is them talking down the economy. And now we have this new fear campaign starting—

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, a point of order: the Treasurer was asked a very straightforward question. If his answer is 'We'll update our figures in the budget forecast', he does not now need to go into an attack on the opposition. If he has answered the question he can sit down.

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That was an abuse of a point of order. The Treasurer has the call.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Indeed it is. We do believe in responsible budgeting, unlike those opposite.

Mr Hockey interjecting—

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for North Sydney has previously been warned. He probably did not get to hear me over the noise.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was about to make a very important point. This government has been accountable for every week of every year for the last five years. We have always presided over updates, we have always put our budgets out on time. In that five-year period we have not had one set of accounts from those opposite that pass the credibility test—not once. After the last election they were found to have had an $11 billion hole in their budget bottom line. So, over five years, there was one attempt to put forward an alternative budget, which had an $11 billion hole in it. I think that speaks volumes for the competence of those opposite. As we go forward they will seek to talk down our economy every day.

Mr Dutton interjecting—

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Dickson is warned.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We on this side of the House will get on with putting in place responsible budgets that secure growth in our economy and that secure jobs—900,000 jobs over five years. Had they been in charge, what would we have seen? We would have seen an Australian economy that would have gone into recession; we would not have seen 900,000 jobs in our economy. We would not have seen an economy with solid growth, strong job growth, contained inflation, high investment and strong public finances. We had all those things because this government takes economic management seriously. Those on the other side of the House, if they aspire to be taken seriously, should start putting some properly costed policies on the table. The last time they put them on the table there was an $11 billion hole in those costings. That shows that if you support jobs, if you support growth and if you support strong public finances then you support those on this side of the House, not the rabble on the other side.