Jamie Briggs (Mayo, Liberal Party, Chairman of the Scrutiny of Government Waste Committee) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I remind the Prime Minister that in last year's budget Labor promised to keep gross debt below $250 billion, bring the budget back to surplus and increase family tax benefit part A. In 2011 Labor promised to create 500,000 new jobs, and in 2010 it promised to cut company tax. Given that Labor has broken every single one of these budget promises, why should the Australian people believe anything that is promised tonight?

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

I thank the member for his question and I thank him for his frankness on workplace relations policy, where at least he has said unashamedly and proudly, 'You can't have genuine flexibility without a form of statutory individual contracts with a no disadvantage test.' He is still a believer in Work Choices and prepared to spruik that long and loud, unlike the Leader of the Opposition, who is still a believer in Work—

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

The member for Mayo on a point of order, without the prop.

Jamie Briggs (Mayo, Liberal Party, Chairman of the Scrutiny of Government Waste Committee) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, it is relevant to refer to the big Labor book of waste.

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

The Prime Minister has the call and will be relevant to the question.

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

I am asked by the member about tonight's budget. The member will see tonight's budget when the Treasurer delivers it at 7:30 tonight, and what I can assure the member is that it is a budget based on the facts, right for these economic circumstances, focused on jobs as this government has always been focused on jobs—960,000 jobs, almost a million, created since this government came to office, an economy 13 per cent larger despite having to face the biggest economic shock the globe has seen since the Great Depression. Despite having to see that, we have put in place policies to support jobs.

I say to the member: if he is interested in the budget then he should direct his attention to the budget tonight, but when he does so he ought to take an approach based on the facts. The member opposite and, indeed, all those members opposite might be interested to know that former Prime Minister Howard was prepared to take an approach based on the facts when it comes to tonight's budget and, indeed, the government's budget in general. He said on 13 May, very recently:

When the current prime minister and the treasurer and others tell you that the Australian economy is doing better than most – they are right.

We are still fortunate that we have an unemployment rate with a five in front of it. I wouldn't have thought that was going to be possible a couple of years ago, and I don't think many people would have. Our unemployment has remained pleasingly quite low.

Former Prime Minister Howard went on to say:

And our debt to GDP ratio, the amount of money we owe to the strength of our economy, is still a lot better than most other countries.

So the member, who worked as an adviser for former Prime Minister Howard, may want to note—

Mr Briggs interjecting—

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

The member for Mayo will leave the chamber under 94a.

The member for Mayo then left the chamber.

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

that there is former Prime Minister Howard acknowledging our economy is strong, acknowledging that we have jobs in our economy and acknowledging that we have low debt. They are the facts of the Australian economy, and no amount of yelling and screeching from those opposite will ever change those facts.