Ross Vasta (Bonner, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister update the House on the financial challenges the government has inherited, and how addressing waste and mismanagement will help build a stronger economy for all Australians?

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before the Prime Minister answers, I would like some listening time from the members of the opposition. We have one or two members who are slow to learn, and perhaps they need some encouragement to learn.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Bonner for his question. I want to assure him and all members that this government is cleaning up the mess we inherited and we are keeping our commitments. Wherever members look there are problems that were given to us by the former government, whether it is the gross debt skyrocketing past $400 billion; the deficits stretching out beyond where the eye can see, because of the fiscal profligacy of the former government; —

Mr Perrett interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Moreton may be surprised at any moment—

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

whether it is the $25 billion ripped out of defence, leaving us with the lowest level of defence spending as a percentage of GDP since 1938; whether it is the $1.2 billion ripped out of schools by the Leader of the Opposition; whether it is the almost $100 billion that was being misspent on the National Broadband Network white elephant; whether it be the complete failure to put any funding in for border protection after 1 January; the failure to provide for chemotherapy infusions after 1 January; or whether it is the fact that the ACCC has been running at a loss for three years.

Mr Dreyfus interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Isaacs will desist.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Everywhere you look the former government has left a mess. If it were so fantastic, why did they politically execute two prime ministers. If they are so proud of themselves, why were the Sussex Street death squads deployed, not once but twice, to assassinate their own leaders, led, of course, by the current Leader of the Opposition. I say this: if former Prime Ministers Rudd and Gillard could not trust this opposition leader, the Australian people certainly cannot. We are keeping our commitments.

Ms Owens interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Parramatta will desist.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The most fundamental commitment of all we will deliver is to repeal the carbon tax. Repealing the carbon tax will leave every Australian household $550 a year better off. What has the Leader of the Opposition got against a $550 Christmas present for every Australian household. Every time Australians get an electricity bill they know that it is $200 higher than it should be, because of that smug Bill over there.