Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. What was the impact on Australia's international standing when last night Malcolm Turnbull tweeted:

A centrist government was blown up; in August and it wasn’t done by moderates.

Does the Prime Minister agree with Malcolm Turnbull? How does the Prime Minister explain to his international counterparts why Malcolm Turnbull is no longer the Prime Minister?

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I agree with Malcolm Turnbull when he says that the Leader of the Labor Party is the biggest risk to the Australian economy. That's what I agree with Malcolm Turnbull on, and I have for many, many years. I agree with Malcolm Turnbull that supporting small and family business is the right way to grow the economy, and that's exactly what our government is doing. I agree with all of those who understand that a stronger economy is the way you pay for essential services, and I agree that it's a stronger economy that should be the way, not the higher taxes that are being proposed by the Labor Party.

I also agree that it is reckless to have a 45 per cent emissions reduction target, not a 26 per cent emissions reduction target. The people who said the emissions target of 26 per cent is appropriate and achievable were the Business Council of Australia—that's what the former Prime Minister also said was the case—and that 45 per cent is an economy-wrecking target.

The Labor Party's record, when they were in office, when it came to the economy was dismal, absolutely dismal. And when it came to managing a budget it was also dismal. That is why we have spent the past five years and more cleaning up the economic and financial mess that was left to us by the Labor Party. The good news for the Australian people is: yes, we said we'd stop the boats, and we did; yes, we said we'd get rid of the carbon tax, and we did; and, yes, we said we'd bring the budget back into balance, and in April we will deliver on that promise as well.