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

My question is to the Prime Minister. On the night before the election, 'somebody' was interviewed on SBS and made the following statement: 'No cuts to education. No cuts to health. No change to pensions. No change to the GST, and no cuts to the ABC or SBS.' Prime Minister, no-one will now own up to making that statement. Does the Prime Minister have any idea who said this?

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

We will have some silence. The Prime Minister will resume his seat. We have had a question asked. We will now be silent while we listen to the answer.

Opposition members interjecting—

The Prime Minister has the call—and that includes the member for Wakefield, unless he wants to leave straightaway. The choice is yours.

Opposition members interjecting—

The Prime Minister has the call. And, if the member for Jagajaga wants to be first out, she will keep it up too. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

Of course I made that statement.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

If there is any more of that clapping, those people who clap will leave.

Opposition members interjecting—

There will be silence for the question to be answered.

Opposition members interjecting—

That includes the member for Chifley. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

Members opposite claimed that the deficit was going to be $30 billion at that time. That is what they claimed. Of course it came in at closer to $50 billion. Under circumstances like that—

Opposition members interjecting—

Government members interjecting—

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

I know it is near the end of the year, but we have two weeks of this, so both sides of the House will stop the chit-chat across the chamber and we will hear the answer of the Prime Minister.

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

Under the circumstances that we subsequently found ourselves in, it was important to make sensible savings, and that is exactly what we are doing. Why is it fair—

Opposition members interjecting—

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

The member for Batman will leave under 94a.

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

Why is it fair to exclude the ABC from the kinds of efficiency savings—

Opposition members interjecting—

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

The member for Parramatta will join him, under 94a.

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

that every other government entity is subject to? The Leader of the Opposition asks about who said what. Who was asked yesterday: 'You cannot criticise though if you are not in a position to say that you would reverse the cuts if you were in the same position?' Who was asked that? After a whole lot of obfuscation—

Opposition members interjecting—

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

The member for Griffith.

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

someone was asked would you reverse the cuts if you took office?

Opposition members interjecting—

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

The member for Sydney will desist.

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

Who was that? Did someone say 'Backstabber Bill'? No-one could have said that, because that would have been out of order. But what does he say? He says: 'We don't think the cuts need to be as deep as they are.' That is what he said. What a hypocrite! What a fraud!

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

Madam Speaker—

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

Has the Prime Minister concluded his answer?

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

Madam Speaker—

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

The Prime Minister has concluded his answer.

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

Madam Speaker—

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

The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order? It had better be a proper one.

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

It is. In the management of the House, the technicians do not turn off a member's microphone until you give another member the call. You have consistently refused to give the call on any point of order until you think the Prime Minister might have finished, and then you give the call. It makes the concept of raising a point of order irrelevant.

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

The member will resume his seat. There is no point of order.