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

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the Prime Minister's new social services bill, introduced into the Senate today. Can the Prime Minister confirm that every cut to families and vulnerable Australians in this bill is lifted directly from the Abbott government's 2014 budget. Labor has fought these cuts every day since then, defending pensioners and defending families. When will the Prime Minister stop recycling cuts from the 2014 budget and stop hurting families?

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition has no plan for child care whatsoever. He claims to talk about his concern for Australian families. He claims to be concerned about the rising cost of living. He has no plan for child care at all—none, nothing—and, certainly, no means of paying for one whatsoever. We have heard the member for Jagajaga many times saying, 'Social welfare reforms have to be paid for.' Well, that is no longer the case with Labor in opposition. They have no plans to pay for child care at all. He talks about wages and the importance of protecting wages. Yet, as the leader of a union, he traded away penalty rates again and again, and did so in return for payments to the union he led. He did that again and again.

We have introduced legislation into the parliament today to ensure that those secret payments come and see the light of day so that the members will know about it. He says he cares about the cost of living in terms of energy, too. He does—he says he does. But what is he doing now? A 50 per cent renewable—

Mr Brendan O'Connor interjecting —

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. The member for Gorton will cease interjecting.

Mr Brendan O'Connor interjecting—

The member for Gorton is warned. The Manager of Opposition Business, on a point of order.

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

On direct relevance: the question refers to a bill that was introduced into the Senate today. It cannot, therefore, be relevant for the Prime Minister to talk about any other piece of legislation. He is going to every other piece of legislation but refusing to talk about the one that was introduced to the Senate today and its links to the 2014 budget.

The SPEAKER: I have heard the Manager of Opposition Business and I am very happy to address his point of order.

Government members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The members on my right will cease interjecting. They will cease pointing and interjecting. I am going to address the point of order. Certainly, the question, at the very beginning, referred to the bill. It also referred to a budget from a couple of years ago and a range of other matters. The Prime Minister is entitled to have a preamble and to compare and contrast. Whilst the very first part of the question was specific, the rest was rather broad, but I am sure that the Prime Minister will address the other aspects that were raised in the question. But it was fairly broad to begin with and it took the whole 30 seconds referring to the budget. I will hear the Prime Minister and I will keep listening very carefully to ensure that he is relevant to the question.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The childcare reforms that we are delivering for Australian families—that we are fighting hard to deliver for Australian families—will provide the highest level of support to those who need it most. You would think the Labor Party would support that. You really think they would. But they throw one obstacle in the way of achieving that. A family earning less than $65,000 a year would only pay around $15 for child care. You would think Labor would support that as well.

Ms Macklin interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Jagajaga!

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And a family earning $50,000 a year with two children in day care would be more than $3,000 a year better off. You would think Labor would support that, but, no, they do not.

And they talk about past budgets. Well, it is interesting to look at budget history. I have the 2011-12 budget. Now, who was in power then? Oh, it was the Labor Party, of course! 'Reform of family payments: pause indexation of family tax benefit supplements for three years.' That is a Labor policy; there it is. And what about the 2013-14 budget—another Labor budget. 'Continue indexation pauses on upper income limits and supplements of family payments.' It is said that the definition of hypocrisy is somebody who claims to have higher standards than he actually does. Well, the Leader of the Opposition is, by any definition, the greatest hypocrite in this chamber.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. The member for Robertson will resume her seat. That final term used by the Prime Minister is a reflection on the Leader of the Opposition, and he needs to withdraw it.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will withdraw that.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Prime Minister.