Bill Shorten Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
2:36 pm
My question is to the Prime Minister. According to The Courier Mail, the Prime Minister is sending personalised letters to 2½ million age pensioners angry over budget cuts. Why is the Prime Minister wasting taxpayers' money writing a letter when he should be rewriting his whole budget?
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
2:37 pm
Any letter that this government sends to people will at least be truthful, unlike the Leader of the Opposition's letter claiming, in 2012, that a budget surplus had been delivered. Is that true?
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Opposition Members:
Opposition members interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
Something else the Leader of the Opposition sent out to the public of Australia–I don't want to display it, but I am reading from it: 'Carbon tax abolished'. I stand amazed at the question from the Leader of the Opposition—
Mr Shorten interjecting—
Ms Owens interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The Leader of the Opposition will desist, and so will the member for Parramatta.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
given that he sent material out to the people of Australia claiming 'carbon tax abolished'. Really and truly. The barefaced gall. The absolute hide. The sheer front of this person. An absolute serial deceiver of the Australian people—just as he was a serial deceiver of former Prime Minister Rudd and former Prime Minister Gillard.
Mark Dreyfus Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General
Nobody believes you!
Mark Dreyfus Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General
I withdraw.
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
Madam Speaker, a point of order—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
It had better be good, in the light of the commentary that is coming across the table from the Leader of the Opposition.
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
It is on direct relevance.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
This is a very wide-ranging question. The Prime Minister has the call and the Leader of the Opposition will desist commentary across the table.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
Really and truly. For this Leader of the Opposition, for this serial deceiver of the Australian people, to complain about a letter that might be sent out by this government to tell the Australian people—
Ms Kate Ellis interjecting—
Ms Plibersek interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The member for Adelaide will desist, and the member for Sydney.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
that pensions will go up every March and every September, every single year, really and truly. If this Leader of the Opposition wants to talk about telling the truth—
Mr Dreyfus interjecting—
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
if this Leader of the Opposition wants to talk about being trustworthy, we are coming up to the fourth anniversary of—
Ms Plibersek interjecting—
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
his trustworthiness to Prime Minister Rudd, and we are coming up to the first anniversary of his trustworthiness to Prime Minister Gillard. If Prime Minister Rudd and Prime Minister Gillard could not trust this Leader of the Opposition, the Australian people never can.