Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to his continued denials that he is cutting health and education funding. I also refer to Standard and Poor's statement on yesterday's New South Wales budget:

The state government faced cuts to health and education funding from the Commonwealth government.

Why is the Prime Minister continuing to deceive the Australian people about his $80 billion of cuts?

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

For the benefit of the person who asked the question, let me repeat that every year school and hospital funding goes up under this government, and every year school and hospital money for the state governments goes up. The shadow Treasurer really should quote more completely if he is going to be taken seriously. If he wants to quote one, let me quote another. The Deutsche Bank Research Report 2014-15, released yesterday, stated:

We note that Commonwealth grants to New South Wales have actually increased over the forward projection period, relevant to the 2013-14 budget update.

This government is not only delivering more money to schools and hospitals but it is also tackling Labor's debt and deficit disaster. That is why it is not only an honest budget, not only a truthful budget, but it is the budget Australia needs for these times.