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

My question is to the Prime Minister. Thousands of private sector employees at Myer have negotiated an additional six weeks parental leave on top of the government's paid maternity leave. Will the Prime Minister apologise to these new mums for his minister calling them rorters?

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

Let us get this absolutely crystal clear. The Treasurer never called anyone on paid parental leave a fraudster and the Minister for Social Services never called anyone on paid parental leave a rorter—never, ever, never. I want to say to members opposite: verballing ministers is no substitute for sound policy and verballing ministers is no substitute for hard work. Verballing ministers is their stock in trade.

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

Madam Speaker—

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

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat.

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

Madam Speaker, I have a point of order.

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

Resume your seat!

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

Madam Speaker—

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

Resume your seat or leave!

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

People can tell all the lies in the world but it does not make up for the complete failure to do the hard work that every political party and any alternative government ought to do. This is an opposition that have absolutely and utterly abdicated their responsibility to come up with alternative policies. They say that the deficit should be lower and they oppose every saving.

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

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. The member for Isaacs on a point of order.

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I take a point of order under standing order 86, which says:

Subject to standing order 104, a Member may raise a point of order with the Speaker at any time.

You have persistently—

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

The member will resume his seat!

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

Madam Speaker—

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

The member will resume his seat! If he had bothered to read the House of Representatives Practice he would find that if it is intended by the person trying to move the point of order to merely interrupt then they are not entitled to so move. So I call the Prime Minister.

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

The guts of this question and the guts of the previous three or four questions is the claim that the Treasurer called people on PPL fraudsters and the Minister for Social Services called people on PPL rorters. That is false. Anyone who makes those claims is lying. I say to members opposite that verballing ministers is no substitute for hard work and verballing ministers is no substitute for coming up with serious alternative policies. I ask the Leader of the Opposition: whatever happened to the year of ideas? All we ever get from members opposite is smear. All we ever get from members opposite is smear based on lies.

Last night this government rose above all that nonsense—this government rose above all that muck from the Leader of the Opposition and his minions—and we delivered a budget that appeals to the best instincts of the Australian people. We delivered a budget that encourages people to be their best selves. We delivered a budget that challenges the people of Australia to grasp the opportunities that are there before us. I know that this country has it. We have it in us to be better than we are and, under the policies of this government, that is exactly what will happen.