Wyatt Roy (Longman, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. I refer the Treasurer to his new mobile app, the Fix-o-Gram, that allows constituents to identify problems directly with the Treasurer. Can the Treasurer outline the Fix-o-Gram solution to the $300 billion in debt and the $192 billion in accumulated deficits created by the government, the mining tax that collects 10 times less revenue than predicted, the carbon tax that is 32 times higher than New Zealand's, and a future surplus that relies on a 90 per cent drop in illegal boat arrivals?

Opposition members: Hear, hear!

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Treasurer will resume his seat. If we are to have question time, then after a question is asked some courtesy needs to be shown or I will rule the questions out of order. The Treasurer has the call.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do thank the member for the advertisement for my app, and I invite everybody to have a look. The one thing we do on this side of the House is deal in facts. And when events occur in the global economy, we respond. During the global financial crisis we responded. We supported jobs and growth in our economy. We were opposed tooth and nail by those opposite—indeed, the current Leader of the Opposition slept through the vital vote in the House, the one that saved Australia from recession—so everybody on this side of the House is proud of what we did to support jobs and growth in our economy. We took on a responsible level of debt to support jobs and growth.

I welcome questions every day of the week in this House from the opposition about jobs and growth and about levels of debt because we have a responsible level of debt to support jobs and growth. The outcome of that is an economy 14 per cent larger than it was at the end of 2007. We did not, as a country, go into recession. If those on the other side of the House had had their way they would have slashed expenditure; we would have had high unemployment; we would have had higher deficits; and we would have had higher debt because there would have been enormous capital destruction, high unemployment and dislocation across all of our communities—particularly in the communities in Longman. It would have been savage if your party had their way during the global financial crisis. So we on this side of the House are proud of the fact that we put jobs and growth first.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order on relevance. I would ask that you bring him back to the question that he was asked. How is he going to use his app to fix these things given he has—

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member will resume his seat. The Treasurer has the call.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Speaker, we have a low and responsible level of debt that supports jobs and growth in our economy and provides job security for millions of Australians. This policy stands in stark contrast to the ones that those opposite are hiding from the Australian people. They are putting forward a proposition for a commission of cuts. They are not going to tell people before the election what they intend to do. But what they intend to do, if they are elected, is follow the example of Premier Newman—that is, take the axe to expenditure on health and education, which would have a massive impact—

Mr Tudge interjecting—

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I warn the member for Aston!

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

on levels of employment in our economy. We welcome a debate about debt. We welcome a debate about jobs and growth because we on this side of the House are proud of the 960,000 jobs created in Australia as a result of the actions of this government because we on this side of the House had the courage to put jobs and growth first. On that side of the House, they will cut to the bone, they will slash jobs and growth, they will slash health and education, and unemployment, deficits and debt will go through the roof.

Don Randall (Canning, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just tell the truth.

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Canning!