Chris Bowen McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer
2:31 pm
My question is to the Treasurer. I refer the Treasurer, again, to the statement by the Minister for Immigration:
… as we know, the PEFO is where the officials tell the truth about what the budget really is …
Treasurer, isn't it the case that since PEFO, which told the truth about the state of the budget, that you have doubled the budget deficit, adding $68 billion, including $14 billion in new spending decisions, in order to provide an excuse for your budget of broken promises?
Joe Hockey North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer
That is just a false assertion based on a false assertion. And what a surprise! Because I remember the member for Lilley standing at this dispatch box on budget night and announcing that he was going to deliver four surpluses in a row—four surpluses in a row! And the member for Lilley—God bless him! He is my best friend over there; we need more of him—went out last night and said, 'Look, I would have delivered a surplus if only we were re-elected—if only we were re-elected!—Give me another chance,' the member for Lilley said.
Oh, come on—do me a favour here, I am just getting going—
Chris Bowen McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. If the Treasurer were to be directly relevant he should at least mention his cabinet colleague, the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection and back his judgement.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
There is no point of order. The member will resume his seat. The Treasurer has the call.
Joe Hockey North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer
I tell you what, Madam Speaker, there is a real Minister for Immigration sitting there! But I remember you as Minister for Immigration!
Warren Truss Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals
And so do the people smugglers!
Joe Hockey North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer
The boats—there were more boats coming in than there were planes at Sydney Airport!
Mr Burke interjecting—
And I remember him over there as the Minister the Immigration!
Chris Bowen McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The member for McMahon will resume his seat! I will simply say to the Treasurer that he will refer to people by their proper titles. You have a different point of order?
Chris Bowen McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer
Yes, Madam Speaker. I also recall the Treasurer standing at this dispatch box and saying, 'over his dead body'!
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
There is no point of order. If the member for McMahon breaches the standing orders in that way again he will leave under standing order 94(a). The Treasurer has the call.
Joe Hockey North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer
He should not be so precious. He should be proud of his record as Minister for Immigration, because they certainly came in! And the member for Watson, to address him by his proper title; he was another great Minister for Immigration.
Julie Owens Parramatta, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business
The question was about doubling the deficit!
Joe Hockey North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer
But I tell you what, as the boats came in under them the boats stopped under this Minister for Immigration. The boats stopped, and not only that; because the boats have stopped we have saved the budget $2½ billion and we have closed nine detention centres. But most of all, as a result of the actions of this government there are no children floating in the ocean between Australia and East Timor as occurred under Labor!
Opposition members interjecting—
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
I will not give the call to the member for Watson until there is silence in the House.
Brendan O'Connor Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
The SIEV X—
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
Madam Speaker, my point of order is on the conduct and tone of this parliament. If they want to start—
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
after the way they voted on Malaysia; if they want to start running that sort of argument which we have not in return—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The member will resume his seat. The Treasurer has the call.
Joe Hockey North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer
I am happy to talk about records. This Minister for Immigration has stopped the boats, and he has stopped the deaths at sea—
Ms Plibersek interjecting—
Joe Hockey North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer
We are proud of the policies that have actually prevented people from dying at sea when trying to get to Australia. And in the interim, he has saved the budget $2½ billion and we have closed nine detention centres. And in the interim we have got on with the job of fixing the mess they left behind.
Mr Shorten interjecting—
Richard Marles Corio, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Border Protection
You've voted with the Greens, Joe. It's Malaysia!
Joe Hockey North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer
We have fixed up the mess. It is not just—and I know this is embarrassing for Labor, but I say to you—that we do not fix up the mess just where it lies in the budget; we have to fix up the mess in every other policy area.
Richard Marles Corio, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Border Protection
You've created the mess! You voted with the Greens, Joe!
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The member for Corio will desist! The member for Corio is warned!
Joe Hockey North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer
From the NBN, to immigration through to welfare, health and education—we will clean up all the mess that Labor left behind in every single policy area.