Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I am so delighted that the shadow minister for health has now shown an interest in Foreign Affairs, because when she was the shadow minister for foreign affairs not once did she come to the consideration in detail, not once did the shadow minister for foreign affairs—now health—attend this important chamber to discuss the foreign affairs and trade budget; not once. So this newfound interest is quite a novelty for us all—she is in the chamber.

The shadow minister for health, the former shadow minister for foreign affairs, who never attended this chamber in that capacity, raised a whole raft of issues. First she asked when there would be an opportunity to discuss our involvement in Iraq. Obviously, she was not taking notice yesterday when the Prime Minister made a speech specifically on the Mosul offensive, on our military commitment in Iraq, and on the work that we are doing in training, advising and supporting the Iraqi security forces.

Yesterday the Prime Minister spoke in the House about the humanitarian effort that the Australian government was providing, and indeed it is incumbent upon the opposition to ask questions in question time. Not once have I had a question from the opposition about the Mosul offensive, about what we are doing in Iraq.

If the shadow minister for health, formerly the shadow minister for foreign affairs, was so interested in what is happening in Syria and Iraq, ask a question in question time. But of course she overlooks the fact that the Leader of the Opposition did have an opportunity to put Labor's position in relation to the Mosul offensive, our involvement in Iraq and indeed our involvement in Syria yesterday. He was given that opportunity, so I do not know where the member for Sydney was during that.

Then she raised the issue of aid—yes, the aid budget is constrained by the budget legacy that we received from the Labor government, and Labor's now shadow minister for foreign affairs was indeed the Minister for Finance and Deregulation. When Labor's Senator Wong was the minister for finance—listen to this—she took a $1.5 billion forecast surplus in 2012-13, the member for Lilley's famous surplus, and turned it into a $19 million deficit. She then took a $23 billion forecast deficit to—

A division having been called in the House of Representatives—

Sitting suspended from 11:02 to 11:18

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