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. I refer to the Prime Minister's confirmation that he will cut support to the orphans of war veterans. The cost of delivering this payment to 1,200 children is just $250,000, less than the cost of providing his paid parental leave scheme to just four people. Why does the Prime Minister think four women on higher salaries are more worthy than 1,200 children of war veterans?

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

The first part of that question has already been answered. The Prime Minister has the call, and it is an enormously wide-ranging question.

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

The suggestion from the Deputy Leader of the Opposition that this government is somehow against veterans and their children is simply false. Any idea that this government is against veterans is simply false.

Opposition Member:

An opposition member interjecting—

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

We have an interjection from one of the opposition frontbenchers that words are cheap. Let me just make this point to him. One of the big issues for veterans was the proper indexation of the DFRDB and the DFRB pensions. We made that commitment before the election and we are delivering on that commitment after the election. We promised before the election that the income support bonus would go—we made that up-front and clear before the election. We said that this particular bonus would go. It is true that some veterans and their families receive this bonus. They knew before the election that this bonus would go. Veterans, like everyone else, understand that governments have to keep their commitments. They also understand, like everyone else, that you cannot be generous with money that you just do not have. We should never forget that members opposite—

Mr Champion interjecting—

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

The member for Wakefield!

Mr Perrett interjecting—

And Moreton!

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

billed $13 billion worth of spending against a tax which has raised just $300 million this year. Members of the veterans community understand that if you want to defend our country, if you want to do the right thing by veterans, you have got to have a strong economy, you have got to have a strong budget, and that is what this government is determined to deliver.