House debates Questions without Notice
Cost of Living
Ms Catherine King Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health
2:57 pm
My question is to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister promised before the election that he would reduce cost-of-living pressures. On top of losing the seniors supplement, the Prime Minister's budget will force seniors to pay more when they visit a doctor and have their prescriptions filled. Why is the Prime Minister making seniors pay more for his broken promises?
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
There are a number of decisions in the budget which, in a better world, this government would not have taken. But unfortunately we have to live in the world that we inherited from our predecessors.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The member for Rankin: one more utterance and you will leave.
An opposition member interjecting—
It was not you?
Ms Catherine King Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health
Why keep paid parental leave?
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The member for Ballarat has asked her question.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
What we inherited from our predecessor was debt and deficit, as far as the eye can see. We inherited a debt-and-deficit disaster and we are taking the necessary decisions—the tough decisions; the very difficult decisions—to address the debt-and-deficit disaster we were left with.
No-one likes doing what is necessary to ensure that our country can live within its means. No-one likes doing what is necessary to ensure that our children and grandchildren are not loaded up with unsustainable debt. But it has to be done, and if it were not done now it would be even harder in a few years time.
Chris Bowen McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer
Read your own budget papers!
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
We have taken difficult decisions, now, to avoid even more difficult decisions in a few years time.
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
Madam Speaker, a point of order on direct relevance: the fees we are talking about go directly to the research fund, not to the budget bottom line.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
There is no point of order. The question is on cost-of-living expenses; the question is in order. Resume your seat.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
For some years, they do go into the Medical Research Future Fund. And why should they not? The research of today is the treatments and cures of tomorrow. The research of today provides us with the treatments and cures of the future.
Mr Burke interjecting—
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
This is a budget for saving, but it is also a budget for building. This is a budget for living within our means, but it is also a budget for building on our strengths, and one of our great strengths is the health and medical research community of this country, and I am happy that they are being supported by this budget.