Andrew Leigh (Fraser, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, why has the government cut $189 million from the tax office which would cost the budget up to a billion dollars in lost revenue?

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

I call the honourable the Prime Minister to answer the question, which sounds remarkably repetitive. The Manager of Opposition Business? The Prime Minister has the call. You have a point of order? What is the point of order?

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

I have a point of order. Madam Speaker, there has not been one question this question time that has gone to the tax office issue that is here—not one. Previously you have argued with our questions, saying there was rhetoric when there was not; now you are saying that something that deals with a completely different issue is the same as what we have had previously. Your rulings are bearing no relationship to the questions.

Mr Dreyfus interjecting—

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

The member for Isaacs will withdraw!

Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw.

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

The Prime Minister has the call.

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

My understanding is that this is the efficiency dividend, which has been applied to a number of government agencies by this government, as it was applied to a number of government agencies by the former government. It is good that the Leader of the Opposition has now let the member for Fraser out of protective custody, because the member for Fraser, of course, is a supporter of many of the fundamental reforms that this government is putting in place. He is a supporter of Medicare co-payments; he is a supporter of higher education deregulation. So on many things Labor's shadow Assistant Treasurer has got it right, but on this one he has got it wrong.

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

The member for Fraser on a point of order?

Andrew Leigh (Fraser, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, under standing order 68, Madam Speaker. The Prime Minister was implying that at the last election I supported the GP tax. No-one here supported a GP tax at the last election!

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

The member for Fraser has invoked standing order 68 on which I have previously ruled and therefore he cannot do a point of personal explanation after question time. However, I will listen to what the Prime Minister's remarks were at the end of question time. But I would remind the member that if he is quoting from the book that you previously wrote then there was no point of order for you to take. But I will have listen to the remarks and see what the situation was.