Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Can he confirm that on his watch, it was revealed this week, airport rorts were referred to police in July; Home Affairs is investigating the cash for visas scandal linked to a disgraced former Liberal MP; secret taxpayer funded market research by an ex-Liberal Party pollster has been shared with his office; his office recommended a long-term Liberal Party associate for a lucrative government contract; and Australia Post spent $12,000 on Cartier watches?

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

What I can confirm is that this week Australia's AAA credit rating was restored. Once again, in the face of the biggest recession we have seen in this country since the Great Depression, which was of course caused by COVID-19—despite those challenges and the unprecedented investment to keep Australians in work to provide that lifeline to people's jobs and their livelihood, and the unprecedented investments in health services and mental health services and the massive hit that that took to the budget—Standard and Poor's looked at the government's fiscal management and economic management and they concluded that Australia's balance sheet was strong as it went into this crisis. It was tested during this crisis but was able to stand to this crisis—

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

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. The Leader of the Opposition on a point of order.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker. The question went to airport reports, cash for visas, secret taxpayer funded market research, looking after Liberal Party mates and Cartier watches worth 12 grand. The Prime Minister hasn't mentioned any of those issues.

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

And he doesn't have to, that's the point. These questions that simply ask a minister or the Prime Minister to confirm several things invite a yes/no answer but the Practice makes it very clear that, while they can invite that, that can't be required. Questions that just say, 'Can you confirm it's Thursday?' make it very, very difficult and it does allow those answering to answer in the way the Prime Minister is. I've been listening carefully to him. I'll keep listening. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

Mr Speaker, I can also reveal that this week it was revealed in the consumer confidence surveys, for the first time since they began in the early seventies, that this budget has impacted positively on Australian consumers' confidence more than any budget since that time. And that is exactly what Australians needed; they needed this budget to give them the confidence. There's only one assumption that really matters in this budget, and that's an assumption that we have made, as a government, in putting this budget together, as we have continued over the course of this week to outline the many measures, as ministers have responded to in questions today and all week—

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

I will just say to the Prime Minister: you are now moving away from relating your material to the question that was asked.

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

Mr Speaker, I was asked to confirm things, and I have confirmed that there has been an historic response to this budget. That is the point I am making. If I could go on in making that point—

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

You related your material to the question, Prime Minister, and I outlined what I thought was the deficiency in the type of questioning that invites a yes/no answer. That can't be compelled, and you're entitled to confirm a number of things that you've already done. But, as I say, moving on from that to a general answer about the budget and everything the budget does is not the same as confirming all of those facts and figures that you did earlier. The question didn't mention the budget at all.

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

I can confirm that the government is providing lower taxes. I can confirm that we're supporting businesses. I can confirm that we're supporting Australians to get back into work. I can confirm that we're providing record support through the JobTrainer program—some 340,000 training places in partnerships with the states and territories. I can confirm we've put $14 billion into new and accelerated infrastructure projects to support a further 40,000 jobs in this country. I can confirm that HomeBuilder is supporting construction jobs all around the country. I can confirm we're backing manufacturing through the minister for industry's plan, to ensure that advanced manufacturing jobs will be here. I can confirm all of those matters because they assume that the Australian people know how to respond to a crisis. That's the assumption we've made about the Australian people in all the decisions we've made. We're believing in the Australian people, first and foremost, in how we are recovering from the COVID-19 recession.