Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister. Only 1,200 children of war veterans receive the assistance that the government wants to cut. Why could the Prime Minister find $5.5 billion for his signature paid parental leave policy, but not a mere $250,000 for the children of war veterans?

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There will be silence on my left, including from the member for McEwen.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know exactly what members opposite are trying to do. They are trying to present this government as callous and hard-hearted. The truth that members opposite seem to have forgotten is that this was an election commitment that we made. We said that in order to help repair the budget—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Jagajaga will remove herself under standing order 94(a).

The member for Jagajaga then left the chamber.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In order to deal with the $123 billion of prospective deficits, in order to deal with the $667 billion of cumulative debt that Labor was running up, we would not continue the Income Support Bonus. The Income Support Bonus is paid to tens of thousands of people. Amongst those people are some of those mentioned by the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. I can also inform the Deputy Leader of the Opposition that we are not going to continue the Schoolkids Bonus, and 1,780 Department of Veterans' Affairs clients receive the Schoolkids Bonus. Presumably we should continue the Schoolkids Bonus on that same logic, because 1,780 DVA clients receive it.

Opposition members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is too much noise on my left, particularly coming from the member for Parramatta.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I just want to make this fundamental point: no government can continue to be generous with other people's money. No government can continue to be generous with borrowed money. We said that the Income Support Bonus would go.

Opposition members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The members for McMahon and Watson will desist.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We said that the Schoolkids Bonus would go. We were honest and upfront about that before the election, and we will do it after the election, because our fundamental task is to ensure that this government lives within its means. Our fundamental task is to repair the budget because, as the Treasurer said in question time today, if you want to fix the economy then you have got to fix the budget first. We will fix the budget, and we will fix the economy.