Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Treasurer. Would the Treasurer inform the House—

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and International Security) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Under the standing orders, which define those matters for which ministers are responsible, the Deputy Prime Minister is responsible for previous statements he has made concerning the Cole inquiry.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Griffith will resume his seat. I have ruled his question out of order and I have called the member for Stirling.

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and International Security) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You are seeking to gag this parliament.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Griffith will resume his seat or I will deal with him. The member for Stirling has the call.

Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Would the Treasurer inform the House of the latest ABS statistics on—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Last week in this House you allowed questions to the Deputy Prime Minister—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What is the point of order?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am raising a point of order as to your ruling that question out of order.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Grayndler is not making a point of order.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week you allowed questions to the Deputy Prime Minister about these very matters.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Grayndler is debating an issue.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On what basis have you ruled the question out of order?

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Grayndler would be well aware that questions need to be linked to statements that were made in the House, not to party matters.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Member for Grayndler, I have ruled on this point of order.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On the point of order—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Grayndler will resume his seat.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have to be allowed to make a point of order.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Grayndler will resume his seat or I will deal with him.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So you can’t make a point of order?

Bob McMullan (Fraser, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. How can it be in order for the Prime Minister to be asked a question about a Labor Party conference and not in order for the National Party to be asked a question about a National Party conference?

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I remind the member for Fraser that if he wishes to ask questions of the Speaker he should do so after question time.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order on the matter with which you are dealing. I suggest to you, Mr Speaker, that there are two ways in which this question is in order. One is in accordance with your very own precedent in this place on 29 May 2006, when you ruled a question to the National Party leader—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Manager of Opposition Business will resume her seat. I have ruled on this matter and I am calling the next question. I call the member for Stirling.

Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Treasurer. Would the Treasurer inform the House of the latest ABS statistics on fertility? What measures has the government put in place to assist families—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Firstly, I point out that my point of order is made under standing order 86, which gives me a right to raise a point of order. That is the first point I want to make.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Grayndler will get straight to his point of order.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Then, on the substance of the point of order, I refer you to page 163 of House of Representatives Practice, which points out, on the issue ‘Impartiality of the Chair’, that it is important there is consistency in your rulings—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have ruled on this point of order. The member for Grayndler will resume his seat or I will deal with him.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Albanese interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Grayndler is warned! I call the member for Stirling.

Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker. My question is addressed to the Treasurer. Would the Treasurer inform the House of the latest ABS statistics on fertility? What measures has the government put in place to assist families with children?

Kelvin Thomson (Wills, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Public Accountability and Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Kelvin Thomson interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Member for Wills!

Kelvin Thomson (Wills, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Public Accountability and Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Kelvin Thomson interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Wills is warned!

Peter Costello (Higgins, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for Stirling for his question. The Australian Bureau of Statistics today released its publication on births in 2005 and reported that the number of births registered was 259,791—a 2.2 per cent increase over 2004 and the highest level since 1993. The publication also disclosed the total fertility rate, the number of live births per female over their reproductive life. The total fertility rate in 2005 was 1.81, up from 1.77 in 2004 and up from the long-term low of 1.73 in 2001. This means that Australia is one of the few countries in the world that has managed to increase its total fertility rate in recent decades. The fertility rate went into long-term decline in 1961, falling from 3.55 to a low of 1.73. Now it has recovered to 1.81. Australia compares favourably with countries such as Spain, Italy, Greece, Germany and Japan, which have total fertility rates of 1.3. Our total fertility rate is slightly higher than that of the United Kingdom but lower than that of the United States, which is at 2.0.

Although that is welcome, the fact of the matter is that unless the total fertility rate is 2.1 we are still below replacement level. Because we are below replacement level, the ageing of the population continues. The proportion of those of retirement age compared with those of working age continues to grow. But, as I said earlier, the good news is that Australia’s total fertility rate has increased and we are one of the few countries in the Western world that has managed to do that. That occurred in calendar year 2005, precisely seven months after the May 2004 budget. That budget introduced the maternity payment, which is a payment now of $4,000 on the birth of each child, and it is warmly welcomed by parents around Australia. In addition, in July 2004 the government increased the rates of family benefits, we provided additional childcare places and subsequently we announced the introduction of the childcare rebate. It was during that budget that Australians were urged to have ‘one for mum, one for dad and one for the country’, and it appears that some Australians have taken up the challenge.

I should also say that one of the things that was introduced as part of the More Help for Families package back in 2004 was an annual payment of $600 in family allowance to each child in respect of every year. Even today, every family that qualifies for family allowance on an annual basis is eligible for $600 per child. For two children a family get $1,200 and for three children they get $1,800. What is more, that is real money. It is money that goes into the bank, it is money that comes out of the bank, it is money that can buy goods and services and it is money the Australian Labor Party tried to abolish. Few will forget when, during the 2004 election, the member for Lilley—Mr Gilligan over there—ran around Australia claiming that abolishing the $600 payment would not matter, because it was not real money. This is real money, alright, and the families of Australia know it to be the case.