Ian Goodenough (Moore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer outline the state of the budget inherited by the government? How will managing the budget responsibly build growth and jobs, particularly in Western Australia?

Ms MacTiernan interjecting—

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

Order! The member for Perth will desist or leave—one or the other. She is warned!

An opposition member interjecting—

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

I am coming to you. I will get there. I thank the member for Moore for the question. I recognise that he believes that what you say before the election should be consistent with what you say after the election. Today we have heard that the Labor Party said in Western Australia this morning before the Senate election that they were opposed to the carbon tax and today they voted to keep the carbon tax. That should come as no surprise. Before the 2010 election they said there would be no carbon tax and after the 2010 election they introduced, in partnership with the Greens, the carbon tax.

Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The question, in case the Treasurer has forgotten, was not about the carbon price regime—

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

We do not debate the standing order. What is the standing order?

Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It was about the state of the budget. None of what the Treasurer has said has anything to do with the question.

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

There is no point of order.

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

The Leader of the Opposition goes to Perth and says, 'No, we don't like that mining tax,' then comes back here and votes to keep the mining tax. So consistency is not an endearing principle for the Labor Party. When it comes to the budget it is vitally important that you be consistent. Of course the Labor Party, after having delivered some of the biggest budget deficits in Australian history, have left behind the fastest growth in government spending of any economy in the top 17 of the IMF—what a great legacy that is from Labor! What is more, they were so concerned before the election about the state of the budget that the old, well-tanned member for Lilley said before the last election that the Labor Party was introducing a $1.1 billion saving in relation to R&D for companies with a turnover of more than $20 billion. They said they were introducing that saving because it was a down payment on the repair that the budget needs.

Well, he would know. He created the problem. He was so outraged about the problem he actually suggested that they have part of a solution—a $1.1 billion change to R&D. The problem is that they never legislated it. They announced it, but never legislated it. So we come in here and say: 'Yes, we agree with you, Labor. You screwed up the budget. We have a collective interest to try to fix it.' But the Labor Party now say that they are so concerned about the budget deficit that they now are going to vote in the Senate against the savings they announced on R&D before the election. What are you thinking? What could you over there be possibly thinking? Before the election you say one thing and after the election you say other things. You are inconsistent.

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

The member for Isaacs on a point of order that is not on relevance.

Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The Treasurer I do not think is addressing his comments to you, Madam Speaker. He appears to be addressing the—

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

He does not have to address them to me but merely through me. The member will resume his seat. That is getting pretty near vexatious use of the standing orders.

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

The only consistency from Labor before an election and after an election is the partnership with the Greens. That is the consistent theme all the way along.