Bill Shorten Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
3:07 pm
No matter what the Prime Minister says this week, all Australians will be paying because of the Prime Minister's broken promises on the GP tax, the petrol tax, family payment cuts and the cost of living.
Mr Pyne interjecting—
Mrs McNamara interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The Leader of the House will desist and the member for Dobell will desist.
Bill Shorten Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
Why should Australians pay for the Prime Minister's dishonesty?
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
Australia simply could not go on as we were, under the former government, borrowing more and more every year, loading up our children and our grandchildren with an ever-increasing debt. Right now, because of the policies of the former government, every Australian is paying a billion dollars every single month.
Ms Kate Ellis interjecting—
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
We are contributing our share to the billion dollars that the Commonwealth is paying every single month—
Ms Macklin interjecting—
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
just to pay the interest on Labor's borrowings and, under the policies of members opposite, within a decade it would have been $3 billion a month. We simply could not go on like this. Every year of deficit takes us deeper into debt, and every year the debt goes up the interest bill just increases. It just goes up and up and up and up.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
Was that the member for Lilley?
Honourable members: Yes!
The member for Lilley will withdraw his comment and leave, under standing order 94(a).
Wayne Swan Lilley, Australian Labor Party
I withdraw, but he's still a liar.
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education
I move:
That the member for Lilley be excused from the service of the House.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The question is that the member for Lilley be excused from the service of the House.
A division having been called and the bells being rung—
I have consulted with the Clerk, who advises me that the scenario I put to you earlier—that he had been removed under 94(a) but has subsequently been named—means that it would be in accordance with tradition for him to resume his place in the chamber to vote. Therefore, I invite him to come back and take his seat. The question is that the member for Lilley be excused from the service of the House.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
3:19 pm
The member for Lilley is excluded from the service of the House for 24 hours.
The member for Lilley then left the chamber.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
Madam Speaker, there is really only one explanation for the member for Lilley's outburst a few moments ago, and that is a guilty conscience—a guilty, guilty conscience.
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Honourable Members:
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
I remind the House that there is a general warning in place.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
It was, after all, the member for Lilley who opened up the 2012 budget speech by saying, 'The four years of surpluses I announce tonight—'
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order, and it had better not be just repeating the question.
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
It is not, Madam Speaker. The Prime Minister has to be relevant to the question that he was asked during question time, not to the resolution that the House just dealt with.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
There is no point of order. The Prime Minister has the call.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
I was asked about the budget and I am talking about budgets—the 2012 budget in particular, which the member for Lilley introduced by declaring, 'The four years of surpluses that I announce tonight'. The budget that we have just brought down is necessary to address the debt and deficit disaster that members opposite created. They gave us the six biggest deficits in Australia's history. They gave us debt and deficit stretching out as far as the eye can see—$123 billion of further deficits, $667 billion of projected debt—and they thought they had delivered four surpluses. That is what the member for Lilley claimed he had delivered. What an utter fraud on the Australian people. That is what members opposite were—a complete fiscal fraud on the Australian people. This government knows a problem when we see it. The problem is Labor and we are dealing with it.
I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.