Tim Watts (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Given that the Prime Minister said, 'There will be no change to the GST, full stop, end of story,' why is the government considering doing the opposite and making Australians paying GST on online purchases of less than $1,000?

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

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

I will have silence, please.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You started it!

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

The Treasurer will desist.

Government members interjecting—

There is too much noise on my right. I will call the honourable the Prime Minister to answer the question when there is silence. That includes the honourable the Treasurer and the honourable the Deputy Prime Minister. I called the honourable the Prime Minister.

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

Plainly, whoever hands out the questions to members opposite does not have the Leader of the Opposition's best interests at heart, because it was the Leader of the Opposition who first asked for this subject to be reconsidered; it was the Leader of the Opposition who first put this subject on the table. The double standards and the hypocrisy of this opposition and this Leader of the Opposition know no bounds.

Mr Shorten interjecting—

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

The honourable the Leader of the Opposition will stop interjecting.

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

The difference with the coalition is that, when we were in opposition, we fought to make a government keep its commitments. That opposition over there is fighting to break government commitments. That is the difference. We are always prepared to look at integrity measures in our tax system, but we will absolutely honour the commitments that we have made to the Australian people.