Sharon Bird (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, every member of this government, including the member for Gilmore, voted five times to give big business a $65 billion handout. And, if the government has its way, a single-income family living in Nowra earning—

Government members interjecting —

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

The member for Cunningham will resume her seat. Members on my right will cease interjecting, including, as always, the Leader of the House, and the member for Deakin and others. I can't hear the question. The member for Cunningham can begin again.

Sharon Bird (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, every member of the government, including the member for Gilmore, voted five times to give big business a $65 billion handout today. If the government has its way, a single-income family living in Nowra, earning $60,000, will pay an extra $300 in tax every year. Why is the Prime Minister hurting families in Nowra and my community to pay for his $65 billion handout to big business?

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

I thank the honourable member for her question. The honourable member, no doubt, has many families in her electorate who are clients of the NDIS and look forward to having services paid for through the NDIS. No doubt those very people would be concerned that the NDIS is actually paid for, because they'll want certainty. When they say to the honourable member, 'How can we be sure it's paid for?' if she told the truth, she'd have to say, 'Labor has no plan to do so.' Labor announced the policy, secured the agreement of the coalition, then in opposition, for an increase in the Medicare levy, which we supported and which was widely supported in the community, and then failed to deliver the funding to pay for the rest of the NDIS. So it's the Labor Party's shame and failure that we are addressing at the moment with the measure that she speaks of in the Senate. The real question is this: is the Labor Party prepared to look into the eyes of a parent with a disabled child and say to them, 'We can't guarantee the funding for your NDIS'? Because Labor can't. Labor has no plan and no money.

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

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

Members on both sides! The member for Sydney!

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

What they are voting against now is the certainty and the compassion that those families deserve.

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

The member for Sydney is now warned.