Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

There were pie-in-the-sky promises, absolutely undeliverable pie-in-the-sky promises from the members opposite, but the $80 billion that the Leader of the Opposition refers to never appeared in any Labor budget. How can you cut something that never existed? Let me make it absolutely crystal clear: public hospital funding goes up nine per cent this year, nine per cent next year, nine per cent the year after that and six per cent in the final year of the budget. Schools funding goes up eight per cent this year, eight per cent next year, eight per cent the year after that and six per cent in the final year of the budget. We are increasing funding on schools and hospitals. The difference between the government and the opposition is that under this government spending is sustainable. Under the members opposite, spending was completely out of control. That is why we have the debt and deficit disaster that this government is now fixing.

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