Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer outline the state of the budget and importance of governments living within their means? How will the government living within its means help Western Australians?

Mr Husic interjecting—

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

The member for Chifley will desist or leave. The choice is his.

Opposition members interjecting—

I said 'desist'. If you do not know the meaning of it, look it up.

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

I thank the honourable member for Durack for her question—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order on reflections on members. I would ask that you withdraw.

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

If the member thought that that meant that he was not literate, I withdraw it. I call the Treasurer.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker!

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

The member for Grayndler—and he does not need to shout.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Sometimes I do need to shout to get attention, Madam Speaker.

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

Not really. I am listening to your point of order.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I would ask that you withdraw the slur on the member for Chifley.

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

There is no point of order.

Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Insults are sometimes traded in this House. They should never come from your chair, Madam Speaker. You should withdraw without reservation!

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

The member will now resume his seat. The member will not shout at the chair; that is a reflection on the chair.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, a point of order: I would remind the opposition to, perhaps, refer to Hansard and all the epithets that I used to put up with from Speaker Jenkins, less so from Speaker Burke. I never complained, and they should stop being a pack of sooks.

Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Successive speakers have ruled that withdrawals should occur without reservation, without qualification and that should apply to the holder of the chair as well. It should apply to you.

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

There is no point of order.

Mr Burke interjecting—

I would refer the honourable member to page 164 of the practice, and page 189.

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

I rise on a point of order, Madam Speaker.

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

There is no point of order.

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

How do you know?

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

Because I can anticipate that you are trying to disrupt the business of the House. The Treasurer has the call.

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

The Australian people want us to talk about jobs, prosperity, the economy and the fate of their children. These shenanigans from these fools on the other side are simply undermining the opportunity for Australians to deal with the issues that really do matter.

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

The Treasurer ought to assist the House by withdrawing the term 'fool'.

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

I withdraw. The fact is that Australians want us to talk about them, their jobs, their prosperity and their family budget. It is hugely important that we address these issues, because it represents the very hope of our nation that we should be in the business of creating an economy that delivers prosperity, jobs, a better tomorrow and a better quality of life than that which we have had the privilege to have. That is our job as legislators and as a government. That is our job, and that is the responsibility of this parliament. We are going to deal with those issues in a systemic and focused way. We are determined to create an economy and to deliver a budget that is focused on jobs and prosperity and that is focused on security and hope. That is what we are focused on, in the Liberal and National parties. We do so having inherited $123 billion of deficits from Labor, $667 billion of debt—

Mr Marles interjecting—

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

The member for Corio is warned.

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

another 200,000 Australians unemployed, a deteriorating terms of trade, below trend growth and rising unemployment. These are the legacies of Labor. We are a government that has inherited systemic waste from Labor, who were still sending out $900 cheques to dead people and people overseas as part of its stimulus package, that was meant to have been in place years ago

The fact is that the Labor Party left an embedded legacy that is destroying the fabric of the budget. In the fifth year, that they never had the courage to talk about, expenditure by government increased by nearly six per cent, in one year—clearly unsustainable. This was three times what Labor promised. All of that must be dealt with now. All the way through, Labor left little time bombs. They go off at particular moments in order to cause maximum harm, not to the government but to the people of Australia. The Labor Party was determined to wreak havoc; they were reckless in government and they are proving to be reckless in opposition.