Angus Taylor Hume, Liberal Party
2:59 pm
My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Will the minister advise the House of the importance of making responsible decisions to ensure that the foreign aid budget is sustainable?
Ms Julie Bishop Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs
I thank the member for Hume for his question and note his interest in responsible fiscal management.
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Honourable Members:
Ms Julie Bishop Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs
The coalition is delivering a responsible, affordable, sustainable aid budget. We have stabilised the budget at $5 billion so no longer do we have a situation where increases are announced and then the budget is raided, as Labor did. In the last 15 months of the Labor government it announced $5.7 billion in increases and then took them away from the aid budget.
What we are doing is focusing on our region. We are not going to spread the aid budget so thinly that we are not delivering effective outcomes. We are reprioritising our aid budget. For example, we are increasing humanitarian programs by 28 per cent and we are increasing the emergency fund by 33 per cent. This is the fund that enables us to respond quickly to disasters like Typhoon Haiyan. This is the emergency fund that Labor raided to fill the hole in the border protection budget, making itself the third largest recipient of Australian aid. We are also increasing scholarships by 30 per cent.
Contrast this responsible approach with that of Labor—irresponsible, unaffordable and unsustainable. Not content with its legacy of debt, running up to $667 billion, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition says she is going to add $16 billion to the aid budget. Just where does she think she is going to get $16 billion from when they are already forcing us to borrow $1 billion a month? What fantasy world does she live in?
Ms Julie Bishop Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs
We have had a revelation about Labor's deepest fantasies. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition's mentor, the former Labor foreign minister, has revealed Labor's deepest fantasy.
Ms Plibersek interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will desist.
Ms Julie Bishop Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs
I quote from his travelogue.
Mark Dreyfus Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General
Tell us about the cuts.
Ms Julie Bishop Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs
I quote from today's Australian Financial Review:'an indictment of the government I served in', says Bob Carr. 'It makes me toy with the opportunity I missed.' Bob Carr is the fiscally conservative Labor Prime Minister who might have maintained a dialogue with the Australian people about living within their means, not spending more than we have got.'
Tanya Plibersek Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition
Madam Speaker, I believe the question was about aid cuts. She should talk about the kids who will not get vaccines because of your aid cuts.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
There is no point of order.
Honourable members interjecting—
There will be silence on my right and left! The minister has the call.
Ms Julie Bishop Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs
So Bob Carr is fantasising. 'Bob Carr is a fiscally conservative Labor Prime Minister who might maintain a dialogue with the Australian people about living within our means, not spending more than we have got.
Ms Plibersek interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will desist!
Ms Plibersek interjecting—
The member for Sydney is warned!
Ms Julie Bishop Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs
Brave enough to wear the criticism of being a Liberal in Labor clothing.' That is what beats in the heart of every Labor member: having the courage to admit that we have got it right on reducing your debt. The Australian people elected us to pay off Labor's debt. You know that is right. You just do not have the courage to admit it.
Tanya Plibersek Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition
What about the kids who miss out on their vaccines?
Tanya Plibersek Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition
She's a disgrace.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The member for Sydney will remove herself for one hour under standing order 94(a).
Tanya Plibersek Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition
She's a disgrace!
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
You will remove yourself under standing order 94(a).
The member for Sydney then left the chamber.
Government members interjecting—
Those on my right will desist!