Lisa Singh (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Finance, Senator Cormann. I refer to the finance minister's decision to rule out further cuts to the aid budget. Can he confirm that this was a response to the foreign minister's fit of pique at leaks from the Treasurer's office?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No.

Lisa Singh (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Now that the Minister for Finance has ruled out further foreign aid cuts, will he also rule out further cuts to health and further cuts to hospitals?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What I will rule out is a continuation of the unsustainable spending growth trajectory that Labor put Australia on. What I can rule out is a continuation of the policies of the previous government which contributed to a weakening of the economy, rising unemployment and a budget position which was rapidly deteriorating, taking us to government debt of 122 per cent as a share of the economy within just a couple of decades. That is of course that trajectory that none other than the failed former finance minister—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pause the clock. Senator Moore, a point of order?

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Direct relevance, Mr President. Can the minister rule out cuts to health and hospitals?

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, I will remind you of the question. You have 21 seconds in which to answer the question.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Mr President. As Senator Singh knows, the budget will be delivered on the second Tuesday in May, and what I can say to Senator Singh is that—

Opposition members interjecting—

Senator Singh asked me about what I can rule out. I can rule out a continuation of the disastrous trajectory that the worst finance minister in Australia's history put Australia on, a trajectory that— (Time expired)

Lisa Singh (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think the answer was no to that one. We will see how we go with the final supplementary question. The Minister for Finance has ruled out further cuts to foreign aid, so will he rule out further cuts to education and further cuts to schools?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What the government will continue to do is make the decisions in order to put Australia on a stronger foundation for the future. The previous government put Australia on a trajectory where we were borrowing from our children and grandchildren, putting their living standards at risk by forcing them to pay for our day-to-day living expenses today as well as their own. Of course, that is not a trajectory that this government will continue. Indeed, in last year's budget we made a series of very important decisions to put Australia on a stronger foundation for the future. Three quarters—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pause the clock. Senator Moore, a point of order?

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I was wondering whether we could get any comment about education and schools in the answer.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Again, I will remind the minister of the question. He has 21 seconds in which to answer the question.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Mr President. When it comes to schools and education, the government will make sure that federal government funding for schools and education is sustainable over the long term. That is, of course, our responsibility as a government. If the Labor Party really cared about education, they would actually join us in making sure that federal government spending is sustainable and affordable within the economy. (Time expired)