Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer her to her statement on 11 February last year, which I quote: 'Every time we announce something we properly account for it and properly fund it.' Prime Minister, where is the money accounted for in the budget for $10.5 billion a year for the NDIS, $6.5 billion for schools, $36 billion for submarines and $2.1 billion for re-establishing Nauru and Manus? Prime Minister, where is the money coming from?

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. I particularly thank him for referring to statements that I made earlier this year, because I would remind the Leader of the Opposition that at the start of this year as we came into this parliamentary year I said that the principal battle ground for this year would be on the economy—on jobs, on services and on the federal budget—and the ability to properly provision for the services and supports that families need. I am delighted, even though it has taken until September, that the Leader of the Opposition is finally coming to meet us on this battle ground of central concern to the Australian community.

I am delighted that the Leader of the Opposition is now indicating by his conduct that at the centre of the political debate between now and 2013 and at the core of the election campaign in 2013 will be who is best—

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The Prime Minister is talking a lot about how delighted she is to answer the question but she is not actually answering the question. When is she going to get to the point and be directly relevant?

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister has the call.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am delighted that the Leader of the Opposition is now indicating that at the centre of the 2013 campaign will be who can best run the economy and who can best manage the federal budget. If that is to be the contest, we will be absolutely delighted. In that contest, what we will do every step of the way is continue to bring our Labor values to the choices that we make in the government budget. We are a government that has found $130 billion for savings in order to fund Labor priorities.

Honourable members interjecting—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Prime Minister will resume her seat. The Prime Minister has the call and will refer to the question before the chair.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We have as a government, across the budgets we have delivered, brought our Labor values to sometimes very tough choices.

Mr Robb interjecting—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Goldstein is warned!

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We have been prepared to make changes to the budget, savings in the order of $130 billion, in order to fund Labor priorities. We will continue to do that, continue to make the right choices, so that we can fund the National Disability Insurance Scheme, so that we can fund a better future for our children. I say to the Leader of the Opposition: what I can say for the government is, through MYEFO and through the budget and then through the process of the election campaign, we will publish all of the credentialled figures through Treasury. You will know where we stand and what we value from the figures that we make sure are checked and are right and are published.

The Leader of the Opposition will not match that commitment. Having gone through the last election campaign and generated an $11 billion black hole, he stands today for $70 billion worth of cutbacks and he is on the run from revealing that truth. We will be very pleased to lay our values open for inspection. We stand by them and we are proud of them. (Time expired)

Nicola Roxon (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker: throughout that whole question, on the front bench it was impossible to hear the Prime Minister's answer from constant interjections from those opposite. It cannot be parliamentary to yell through an entire answer to the extent that, on our front bench, we are unable to hear the answer.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Attorney-General will resume her seat.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Mackellar, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Seniors) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker, I rise on a point of order.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Mackellar will resume her seat. As with previous speakers, I will not entertain this type of discussion during question time, but I will refer everybody to standing order 65(b).

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker, I ask a supplementary question. With $120 billion of unfunded spending commitments, with revenues falling and now with a damning Standard & Poor's report, does the Prime Minister still claim that the government is on track to deliver a budget surplus this financial year?

Mr Perrett interjecting—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Moreton is warned!

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think today the opposition is proving it can bellow but it cannot budget. What we are going to hear from the opposition is lots of bellowing but what they will not do during any point of this question time or any day between now and the 2013 campaign is promise that they will get their figures properly checked by Treasury. Eleven billion dollars out the back door in the election campaign in 2010—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister will resume her seat. The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. The Prime Minister has the call and will refer to the question before the chair.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am asked about budgeting and how you make sure that you are making the right choices to return the budget to surplus. I am indicating that as a government we are determined to make the right choices. We are determined to go through the proper processes.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The Prime Minister cannot redefine the question. She was asked if they are still committed to a $1½ billion surplus this financial year in light of Standard & Poor's damning assessment of their budget.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister has the call.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am indicating to the opposition the following: we are determined to bring the budget to surplus. Standard & Poor's have given us a AAA credit rating. Indeed, we have a AAA credit grade rating from all three major ratings agencies—never achieved during the life of the Howard government. No amount of bellowing from the opposition is going to turn a AAA credit rating from Standard & Poor's into anything else. The premise of the Leader of the Opposition's question is absurd. Of course, the Leader of the Opposition is asking it as a hypocrite, because he will not commit himself—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Prime Minister will withdraw.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw. The Leader of the Opposition has a double standard and he should end that.

An opposition member: Your time's up!

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will remind everybody that it is my call, and the constant calling of that is not assisting the dignity of this parliament.