House debates

Wednesday, 16 July 2014

Questions without Notice

Budget

2:24 pm

Photo of Tanya PlibersekTanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | | Hansard source

I wish you a very happy 100th birthday. My question is to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister's budget is ripping away $6,000 a year from an Australian family. Now the Treasurer has confirmed that the government is looking at further cuts. Can the Prime Minister guarantee that he will not completely scrap Family Tax Benefit Part B as recommended by the Commission of Audit?

Mr Shorten interjecting

Photo of Mrs Bronwyn BishopMrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition will withdraw that remark.

Photo of Bill ShortenBill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | | Hansard source

Certainly. I withdraw.

Photo of Tony AbbottTony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

I can guarantee to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition that this government will tackle Labor's debt and deficit disaster. We were left with a legacy of debt projected to reach $667 billion on top of the six biggest deficits in our history from six Labor budgets.

Ms Owens interjecting

Photo of Mrs Bronwyn BishopMrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The member for Parramatta will desist.

Photo of Tony AbbottTony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

We were left with a legacy of four further deficits, totalling $123 billion.

Photo of Mr Tony BurkeMr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, a point of order on direct relevance: this question goes to the abolition of Family Tax Benefit Part B. The Prime Minister can rule it in or out to be relevant.

Photo of Mrs Bronwyn BishopMrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

It was a wide-ranging question, I would remind the Manager of Opposition Business.

Photo of Tony AbbottTony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

The difficulty that this government is wrestling with is that we inherited the worst fiscal legacy in our history, thanks to members opposite, thanks to the government in which the Leader of the Opposition was a very senior member. He was the king maker and king breaker, the queen maker and queen breaker, in the former government. Thanks to the work of that government, we were headed for 10 consecutive budget deficits. And never before in Australia's history have there been 10 consecutive budget deficits. Even recovering from the depths of the 1990-91 recession—

Ms Owens interjecting

Photo of Mrs Bronwyn BishopMrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The member for Parramatta will desist.

Photo of Tony AbbottTony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

we had only seven consecutive budget deficits. So, members opposite, when they were in government, gave us the six worst budget deficits in history and projected another four budget deficits—debt and deficit stretching out as far as the eye can see. And they did this to us at a time of continued economic growth, with the biggest terms of trade in our history. That is a sign of the irresponsibility of members opposite when it comes to money and fiscal policy. They gave us the worst fiscal position in our history at a time of the best terms of trade in our history. So, there is a very clear lesson here: you just cannot trust the Labor Party with the economy of our country.