House debates

Wednesday, 1 October 2014

Questions without Notice

Budget

2:59 pm

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

My question is to the Prime Minister. In question time today the Prime Minister recommitted the government to every one of its unfair budget measures. And today the Treasurer has revealed that he is working on new budget measures, saying on radio, 'We are working them through. I mean, I'd love to share them with you.' Prime Minister, when will the government share its secret plans to inflict more pain on Australian families?

Photo of Joe HockeyJoe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | | Hansard source

You're the biggest—

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

The Treasurer will desist! The Prime Minister has the call.

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

The ultimate unfairness is the $25,000 of debt—

Mr Champion interjecting

Ms Owens interjecting

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

The member for Wakefield and the member for Parramatta! Either or both of you will leave if you utter again.

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

for every man, woman and child that members opposite have saddled every single Australian with. The ultimate unfairness is the $1-billion-a-month interest bill that every single Australian is paying now as a result of Labor's spending spree and which, unchecked, would be $3 billion a month, every single month.

Ms Plibersek interjecting

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

The member for Sydney will desist.

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

This is what this government was elected to change. This is what the government was elected to repair. Members opposite might be suffering from selective amnesia but, let me remind them, this government—

Ms Owens interjecting

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

The member for Parramatta will leave, under standing order 94(a). She has been warned.

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

promised to stop the boats, to scrap the carbon tax, to build the roads of the 21st century and to get the budget back under control. Time and time and time again, till I was blue in the face I said that we were going to get the budget back under control. That is what the public expect from us. That is what we will do. That is what we are doing.

If members opposite wanted to deal themselves into relevance they would join us in delivering the surplus that they promised but never ever delivered. They know that a surplus is important, because the Leader of the Opposition himself, in his newsletter, kept saying a 'budget surplus for a strong economy'. But it was not just the Leader of the Opposition. We have the member for Lilley who told his people, 'Back in surplus, on time, as promised,' and on the other page he says—it says, 'Dear resident'—'and remember, I'm always here to help. There is never any issue too big or too small'. So they know it is important to get us back to a situation of surplus. That is what we are doing. If members opposite had the guts and the integrity of people like Prime Minister Hawke and Treasurer Keating they would join us to rescue the economy, by rescuing our budget.