George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Gallagher, for giving me the opportunity to speak about a budget of which this government is extremely proud—a budget which is based on the principle of fairness, based on the principle of opportunity and based on the principle of ensuring that Australians have the security that they deserve.

Before speaking about the budget in more detail, let me correct some of the false premises in Senator Gallagher's question. You speak of a tax hike, Senator. I assume that is an intended reference to the increase by half a per cent in two years time of the Medicare levy to fund the NDIS, a program that you left entirely unfunded. All the rhetoric in the world, Senator Gallagher, will not excuse you from the reality that you devised a system—a system, by the way, which the present government supported—but you made no provision to fund it. As is so often the case in Australian politics, it is the Labor Party that has got a monopoly on the rhetoric, but it is the coalition that actually has to find the money to fund the program.

So what we have done is announce in the budget last night that in two years time we will ask Australians to pay an extra half a per cent on the Medicare levy in order that the NDIS may be funded. That is one of the aspects of the budget, Senator Gallagher, that we regard as a fairness measure. And, if you support the NDIS, as you claim to do, what is your problem with saying that the money should be found and put in a locked box to make sure it is properly funded? (Time expired)