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

My question is to the Prime Minister. In response to question 10 today, the Prime Minister was happy to rule out including the family home in the pension assets test as part of the Treasurer's alternative budget; but, today, the Prime Minister refused to rule out, at question 3, making further cuts to schools and hospitals; at question 5, introducing a $15 GP tax; and at question 8, scrapping family tax benefit B. Hasn't the Prime Minister hurt Australian families enough? How many more grubby deals will this Prime Minister cut to get his unfair budget through?

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

All of the assertions contained in the Leader of the Opposition's question are false. We are not cutting schools and hospitals. We are not ripping off families. We are not imposing taxes in the way that the Leader of the Opposition suggests. We are addressing the debt and deficit disaster that we inherited from members opposite. Members opposite are in denial about the fiscal catastrophe that they created. They are absolutely in denial about the disaster that they left as their legacy. They accepted, in government, that they needed to move back to surplus. Why can't they accept now that it is necessary to move back to surplus?

Ms Owens interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Parramatta will desist.

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

There were the tax cuts that they abandoned in government and now are voting in favour of. There were the spending cuts that they proposed in government and now are opposing. There was the carbon tax that they said they had terminated in government and are now supporting. They just do not know—

Ms Ryan interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Lalor will desist.

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

where they stand. They do not know what they believe in.

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will desist.

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

The embarrassment for members opposite is that they are the heirs and successors of Bob Hawke and Paul Keating—two prime ministers that members on this side often disagreed with but could always respect. We might have disagreed with much of what they said, but we could always respect what they did, because, whatever else they were, they were not wreckers. That is the problem with members opposite. The current crop of Labor members in parliament were wreckers in government and now just want to wreck government. That is the problem. This government has been given by the people of Australia a heavy responsibility.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If you are attempting to have a point of order dealing with relevance, you will be very hard pushed to make it.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thought I would give it a go because he has not come close.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no point of order.

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

We were elected to fix the mess that Labor created. That is what we were elected to do. No-one ever said that it would be easy. In fact, fixing Labor's debt and deficit disaster is obviously going to be difficult, but this government is up to the task, and we will not let the people of Australia down. On that note, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.