Bill Shorten Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
2:00 pm
My question is to the Prime Minister. Before the election the Prime Minister promised no cuts to health, no cuts to education and no change to the pension; but after the election the Prime Minister has cut $80 billion from schools and hospitals, and cut pension indexation.
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Honourable Members:
Bill Shorten Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
How can the Prime Minister possibly claim that this is the budget the Australian people elected his government to bring down?
Opposition members: Hear, hear!
Scott Buchholz Wright, Liberal Party
You couldn't hit the side of a barn with that!
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
In response to the falsehoods of the Leader of the Opposition, I make two points.
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Opposition Members:
Opposition members interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The member for Isaacs will desist. The member for Rankin had to leave yesterday; I presume he wishes to stay today.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
In response to the Leader of the Opposition's falsehoods I make two points. First, this government was elected to deal with the debt and deficit disaster that members opposite created. That is the first point I make. The second point I make is: when it comes to public hospitals, funding goes up nine per cent this year, nine per cent next year, nine per cent the year after that and six per cent in the fourth year.
Ms King interjecting—
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
In respect to public schools, funding goes up eight per cent this year, eight per cent next year, eight per cent the year after that and six per cent in the fourth year. Every single year, spending on health and education goes up. That is why the question from the Leader of the Opposition is just a farrago of falsehoods.
Bill Shorten Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. In light of the Prime Minister's defensiveness, I just wanted to give him his own budget papers.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
There is no point of order. The member will resume his seat.
Karen Andrews McPherson, Liberal Party
2:02 pm
My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister explain how fixing the budget will strengthen the economy to the benefit of Australian businesses and families?
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
I thank the member for McPherson for her question. Like everyone on this side of the House, she is very conscious of the promise we made to the people before the election: to build a strong and prosperous economy for a safe and secure Australia. If you want a stronger economy, you have to build a stronger budget and that is precisely what this government has delivered. Instead of debt and deficit stretching out as far as the eye can see, instead of $120 billion of cumulative deficits, instead of debt peaking at $667 billion, this budget brings us back to balance within four years. This budget reduces debt by almost $300 billion. This is an honest budget. It does not fake up a surplus by cooking the books and fiddling the figures. Above all else, this budget addresses the problem of dead money—the one billion dollars in interest repayments every single month that this Commonwealth is paying because of the Leader of the Opposition and members opposite.
Mr Pyne interjecting—
If we did not have the billion dollars in dead money thanks to Labor's debt and deficit disaster we could, as the Leader of the House says, build the north-south corridor in just one month. If we did not have this dead interest money we could upgrade the Gateway Motorway in Brisbane in just one month. In six months we could rebuild the Bruce Highway and in a little over a month we could do the range crossing at Toowoomba. In a month we could rebuild Hobart hospital. I know the member for McPherson, as an engineer and chairman of the public works committee, wants to get these things built. They will be built so much more quickly when we are no longer paying off Labor's debt. This is a budget that tackles the problems that members opposite left us. This is a government with a plan to make our country strong.
Graham Perrett Moreton, Australian Labor Party
It's a Burke and Wills plan!
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
All we have from members opposite is a scare and a complaint with no solutions. You cannot trust Labor with national security and you cannot trust Labor with our nation's economy.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
We will have some silence before I call the honourable member for Hunter, and that includes the member for Chifley.
Joel Fitzgibbon Hunter, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture
2:05 pm
My question is also to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, Australians in rural and regional areas will pay your new petrol and GP taxes while having their pensions and family tax benefits cut, while at the same time you roll out your unaffordable paid parental leave scheme. Prime Minister, please tell the House how this is fair.
Opposition members: Hear, hear!
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
2:06 pm
Yet again, more falsehoods from members opposite.
Mr Snowdon interjecting—
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
There are no cuts to pensions. Pensions go up every single six months; every six months pensions will increase. In March, pensions go up; in September, pensions go up.
Mr Fitzgibbon interjecting—
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
Every March and every September, pensions go up. The member for Hunter—
Mr Fitzgibbon interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The member for Hunter has asked his question and will desist.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
should not run around this country scaring the pensioners of Australia. What this government is doing is making the pension sustainable. If there is one thing that threatened the sustainability of our pension system, it is the debt and deficit disaster which members opposite left us.
Mr Dreyfus interjecting—
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
When it comes to roads, I am very proud to say that this budget is the greatest road building budget in Australia's history. There are few things that are better for country Australia than new roads, and that is what the people of Australia will get in spades under this government.
Mr Snowdon interjecting—