Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister made two policy choices yesterday. He reintroduced knights and dames to the Australian honours list and his government voted in the House yesterday to cut $211 payments from the children of orphans. Prime Minister, don't these choices reflect the government's cruel and twisted priorities?

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

It is nice to get a question from the Hon. Bill Shorten, who has on his frontbench the Hon. Mark Dreyfus, Queen's Counsel.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

There will be silence on my left!

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

This government's priorities are very clear—

Mr Snowden interjecting—

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

The member for Lingiari!

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

we want to take the burdens off families that members opposite put on them.

Mr Thistlethwaite interjecting—

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

The member for Kingsford Smith!

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

We want to get rid of the carbon tax. Last week, Labor voted to keep the carbon tax.

Mr Thistlethwaite interjecting—

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

The member for Kingsford Smith is warned!

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

We want to get rid of the mining tax. Yesterday, Labor voted to keep the mining tax. We want to get rid of some 10,000 redundant regulations and acts of parliament, and I bet you this, Madam Speaker, Labor will vote to keep them.

Mr Champion interjecting—

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

The member for Wakefield!

An opposition member interjecting —

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. All day, the parliament has been saying that was bipartisan—all day!

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

That is not a point of order, and the member will not abuse the standing orders.

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

We want to restore the rule of law in the construction industry, and Labor has voted against that. We want to clean up corruption inside the union movement, and Labor is opposed to that. This is a government which is focussed on doing the right thing by the families of Australia—

Mr Burke interjecting—

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

The member for Watson will desist!

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

Always will be, and if the Leader of the Opposition is serious about focusing on the priorities of Australian families he will get with the government, scrap the carbon tax, scrap the mining tax and restore the rule of law in our difficult industries.