Christian Porter (Pearce, Liberal Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

The proposals that we have before the House are to save $3.9 billion through the phasing out of FTB supplements. We also propose restructuring FTB-B rates and, indeed, inside that there are some spends, and one of the spends is on stay-at-home mums, which we think is a very sensible idea. Another one of the spends is to increase the rate of FTB-A for every single recipient family. In total, when the saves are accounted for and the spends are accounted for, the overall saving is $4.7 billion. That allows for payment in full of $3.5 billion worth of expenditure on child care as well as making a reasonable contribution to repair of the budget—which is a problem that you left us as a legacy.

Your alternative proposal is to turn $4.7 billion worth of savings into $500 million worth of savings. So how do you turn $4.7 billion worth of savings into $500 million worth of savings? You take it into the Labor caucus. That is their contribution to the debate. When you want to spend $3.5 billion on sweeping reforms to child care, $500 million worth of savings does not allow you to do what you need to do to reform the childcare system. Very interestingly, Shadow Treasurer, you have said some things in this regard. In fact, you said something very, very sensible.

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