Sarah Henderson (Corangamite, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer outline how getting the budget under control will allow us to build a stronger economy and a better Australia?

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

I thank the honourable member for Corangamite for her question and note that, because we have laid down a budget that asks people to contribute so that we can build, that is how we are able build the East West Link in Victoria, which is going to make a substantial difference in Melbourne and also to Geelong—cutting three hours of travel time from Geelong into Melbourne each week, which is a productivity improvement. But we can only do that if we are allowed to get on with the job of fixing the mess that was left behind by Labor.

They have left us $667 billion of debt if no action is taken immediately—in 10 years time $667 billion of debt. That is $25,000 for every man, woman and child in Australia as a result of what Labor did in just six years. That is nearly $3 billion a month in interest. Even now we are paying about $1 billion a month in interest on the debt left behind by Labor. And here is the interesting thing: 70 per cent of that $1 billion a month goes to people living overseas who we have borrowed money from. Seventy per cent of that money, $700 million, every month is being sent by the Australian government to people who are living overseas to pay the interest on the debt that Labor left behind.

Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I bet they're foreigners.

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

The member for Moreton will desist.

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

They do not get it. They do not actually understand the implications of their spending decisions. When Labor were handing out $900 cheques, even to dead people overseas, and building massively expensive school halls—

Mr Husic interjecting—

Dr Chalmers interjecting—

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

The member for Chifley will desist, and the member for Rankin.

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

and when they were running all those deficits, someone had to pay. We had to borrow the money, and 70 per cent of that money has come from people living overseas. So now we have to pay the interest back on that debt. Labor think there is no problem. The Labor Party are in denial—not just about what they have done but also about the challenge for the future. That is why they are opposing $40 billion of savings, of which $5 billion of those savings were promises they made at the last election which they now want us to break. Their own savings they oppose.

Now we have a clear situation of the hypocrisy of Labor. They are opposing the savings they took to the last election which would fix the budget; they are now opposing a co-payment on Medicare, which they originally came up with; they are now opposing freezing of family tax benefits, which they did in government; and they are now opposing changes to university fees, which they initially introduced. They have no principles. They are outright hypocrites—but Australia is paying.

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

The Treasurer will withdraw the word 'hypocrite'. It is unparliamentary.

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

I will withdraw.

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

My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister confirm that in 2017-18 the Prime Minister will not be contributing one cent to pay for his broken promises but a single-income family will lose over $6,000?

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

Assuming that I am in my current job—and I make no assumptions about longevity—I can assure you that I will be in the top marginal tax bracket. I will be in the top marginal tax bracket, which means, yes, I will be continuing to make a very considerable contribution to the task of repairing Labor's debt and deficit disaster.

Ms Macklin interjecting—

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

The member for Jagajaga will desist.

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

The tragedy which members are still in denial about is that every single Australian will be paying for their debt and deficit disaster for many, many years to come. That is problem. When we have six years of utter incompetence, six years of utter betrayal of everything they once said they stood for, everyone pays. That is the problem: everyone has been a loser from the last six years of Labor's debt and deficit disaster.

Karen McNamara (Dobell, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Social Services.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Karen McNamara (Dobell, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Will the minister confirm that age pensions will keep their pension supplement—

Mr Albanese interjecting—

and they will not be worse off as a result of this budget?

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

I cannot hear the question. There will be silence on my left.

Mr Albanese interjecting—

Start the question again. The member for Grayndler is warned!

Mr Albanese interjecting—

The member for Grayndler is warned! The member for Dobell has the floor.

Karen McNamara (Dobell, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Social Services. Will the minister confirm that age pensions will keep their pension supplement and that they will not be worse off as a result of this budget?

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Dobell for her question and commend her on the fine representation of the people of Wyong, The Entrance and surrounding areas on the Central Coast of New South Wales.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

The minister has the call.

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can assure the member for Dobell and everybody in the House and everybody listening to this question time this afternoon that pensioners will keep their pension supplement. They are currently receiving up to $1,635 per annum as a single and up to $2,464 per annum as couples. Not only will they keep that pension supplement but I can also assure the member that that pension supplement will increase again in September. But this has not stopped the Labor Party from claiming otherwise.

Opposition members interjecting—

Laugh as you like. Keep laughing.

Mr Clare interjecting—

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

The member for Blaxland will desist.

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I came across a brochure which clearly says: 'Age pensioners lose $876 per annum seniors supplement'. This brochure is authorised and printed by Senator Doug Cameron. I have news for Senator Cameron and the Labor Party: age pensioners do not receive the seniors supplement—they never have. They did not receive it under you. They do not receive it now. But that does not stop Mr Cameron running around the country saying that they will lose this.

Mark Butler (Port Adelaide, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You said it.

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

The member for Port Adelaide!

Mr Butler interjecting—

The member for Port Adelaide is warned!

Opposition members interjecting—

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, over all the rabble opposite, what we see once again is a pattern of deceit and deception from the Labor Party. But what is worse about this is that—

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

Madam Speaker, the minister is making unparliamentary reflections on himself.

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

There is no point of order. The Manager of Opposition Business knows that that is an abuse of standing orders and will desist.

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So what is worse about this is that the person who is currently responsible for these—

An honourable member interjecting—

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

The minister has the call.

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

services for the Labor Party, responsible for such payments, cannot even get his facts right. So the Leader of the Opposition should either condemn Senator Cameron for this scaremongering—

Ms Collins interjecting—

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

The member for Franklin will desist.

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

or stand him down and get somebody else to do the job. The reality is, I can assure the member for Dobell and everybody else in Australia, pensions will continue to go up. They went up in March, they will go up in September, and the pension supplement will indeed continue to increase and remain in existence.

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is also to the Minister for Social Services. Does the minister recall telling ABC radio on Monday that the government is cutting the pension supplement? Minister, isn't this just another broken promise or, if it is wrong, doesn't it show that both the Prime Minister and his ministers do not even know their own budget and the pain they are causing Australians?

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

The minister will resume his seat.

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It was only on Monday!

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

The member for Jagajaga will desist. The question has been asked. We will have silence for the answer. The minister has the call.

Ed Husic (Chifley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can't hear him—his foot's in his mouth!

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

The member for Chifley is warned!

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, all I can say to the member for Jagajaga is 'come in spinner', because the reality is that, contrary to the lies that are being peddled by the Labor Party around Australia, lies like this one from Senator Cameron, the pension will continue to increase and the pension supplement will continue to be paid. That is the reality.

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

Madam Speaker, I raise a point of order. It is unparliamentary for the minister to accuse himself of being a liar.

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

If the member for McMahon abuses the standing orders in that way again he will leave the chamber. The minister has the call.

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The first stage of the grieving process is denial, and hasn't the Labor Party got it in heaps—total denial that you engaged in deception and deceit on the Australian people. As the Treasurer pointed out, we are racing towards an accumulated debt of $25,000 for every man, woman and child in Australia. Why don't you get real and face up to the situation that you left this country in? Why don't you face up to it rather than sitting there with this rabble of denial that we continue to get from the Labor Party? The reality is pensions will continue to rise in March and September—

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

Madam Speaker, I raise a point of order.

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They have had a point on relevance, Madam Speaker.

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

The minister has the call.

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

Madam Speaker—

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

What is the point of order?

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

I am genuinely loath to interrupt, but he should speak through the chair rather than directing his remarks at you.

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

That is a reasonable point of order, and the minister will direct his remarks through the chair.

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I would hate to accuse you of misleading the Australian people like the Labor Party is; but that is what is happening. So, in their total state of denial, you have people like Senator Cameron running around Australia trying to scare the pensioners of Australia that they are going to lose their pensions and that they are going to lose their pension supplement. The reality is in March of this year the pensions went up between about $10 and $15 for Australian pensioners, they will go up again in September of this year, they will go up again in March of next year and in September of next year, and the year after and the year after and the year after. That is the reality. And the pension supplement will be maintained and the pension supplement will increase in September this year. So it is about time that the Leader of the Opposition showed some gumption and some leadership and told Senator Cameron to stop this pattern of behaviour of running around and pretending that something is the case which is not the case for the pensioners of Australia. Shame on the Labor Party.

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I understand the ruling you made earlier this week—

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

Well, get on with the point of order.

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

but I do seek leave to table the transcript of the minister on Monday—he does not seem to remember what he said.

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

The member will resume her seat.

Andrew Nikolic (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, on a point of order, is it within the standing orders for the jovial fellow, Bill Shorten's adviser, in the advisers box over there to be gesticulating wildly and laughing uproariously and engaging himself in the debate of the House?

Honourable members interjecting—

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

There will be silence. It is time that we had some decorum here. People are watching, as I said yesterday, in the galleries. They cannot hear what the questions being asked are. The member for Denison has an important question to ask. And those people who sit in the advisers box—I have not been able to see their pleasant faces this afternoon, but if they are gesticulating they shall desist. The member for Denison has the call.

Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, on the point of order—

Government members interjecting—

when the creepy little collection over there shuts up, perhaps the member for Bass and his friend in front of him may not want to be trying to engage advisers that are sitting in the box.

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

There is no point of order, and it would be a good idea to withdraw or shut up, please.

Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Withdraw or shut up?

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

I call the honourable member for Denison.

Andrew Wilkie (Denison, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, the budget maintained funding for Bass Strait freight and passenger vehicle subsidies and flagged the Productivity Commission inquiry into the issue. Prime Minister, Bass Strait is the most significant brake on Tasmania's economic development, and any reduction in the subsidies would be a crippling blow. When will the commission's report be made public; when will the government respond; and do you commit to not reducing the subsidies in any way, regardless of the commission's recommendations?

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

I thank the member for Denison for his question. Loath as I am to disagree with the member, I do respectfully suggest to him that the former Labor-Green government was a much bigger brake on Tasmania's economic development than the Bass Strait! This government here in Canberra and, I am sure, the new government in Hobart do want to contribute seriously to Tasmania's economic development because Tasmania needs to be a great place to work as well as a great place to live and a great place to visit. Members on this side, like the member for Denison, want to ensure that Tasmania is an economy as well as simply a national park.

To that end, we are contributing $400 million towards the duplication of the Midland Highway. I confirmed $26 million towards upgrading the Brooker Highway. There is some $40 million being contributed towards the upgrade of Hobart airport. The coalition invented the Freight Equalisation Scheme, we support the Freight Equalisation Scheme, we have no plans to change the Freight Equalisation Scheme, and that is why $114 million was committed to the Freight Equalisation Scheme every year in the budget just brought down.

Andrew Wilkie (Denison, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, on a point of order on relevance—

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

I think the Prime Minister has completed his answer. Have you completed your answer?

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

Yes.

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

Yes, he has completed his answer.

Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Education. Minister, could you please explain how the government's higher education reforms will increase opportunity for all Australians, including those from low-income households?

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

I am delighted to get a question from the member for Petrie about the budget and about higher education in particular, because this government's reforms to higher education are designed to do two things: they are designed to spread the opportunity to more Australians to get a higher education qualification and they are designed to equip our universities with the freedom that they need to be able to thrive and be the best they possibly can be in order to compete with the Asian competitor universities in our region. We are doing that through the largest Commonwealth scholarships fund in Australia's history and by removing the cap on diplomas and associate degrees so that up to 80,000 more young people will get the opportunity, over time, to get a diploma, associate degree or undergraduate degree. We are extending the Commonwealth Grants Scheme to non-university higher education providers to give a shot of competition to the market and also expand opportunities for more students. We are abolishing the loan fees for VET, vocational education and training, and non-university higher education courses which have been a disincentive to students to go to those kinds of institutions. And we are deregulating universities.

Some of the myths that have been put about about deregulating universities are that deregulation will lead to fewer young people of low socioeconomic status going to university and that it will lead to a reduction in enrolments. I think it is instructive to look at the experience of England and Scotland after the deregulation of fees in England and the abolition of fees in Scotland, because they both occurred at about the same time and the results are starting to come in. I must admit I have been helped by the Guardian website—unusually so. Daniel Carr from theguardian.com wrote a very good piece yesterday, exposing the fact that the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service in the UK found:

Compared with entry rates in 2011, the year before the introduction of higher tuition fees in England, 18 year olds in disadvantaged areas in England are 12 per cent more likely to enter in 2013.

It also found:

… the share of disadvantaged background students entering university is now at its highest in a decade.

That is what has been found in Great Britain after the deregulation of fees: more students from poorer backgrounds are at university today than before deregulation. In Scotland, fees were abolished. In an article in TheTelegraph, Professor Riddell from Edinburgh university's school of education found:

… the proportion of students from low income backgrounds has not changed since fees were abolished …

So the abolition of fees in Scotland led to no change at all in the number of poorer students going to university, but the change in England meant that more students got to go to university than before deregulation— (Time expired)

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

My question is to the Prime Minister. This morning the member for Tangney criticised the Prime Minister for making more than $1½ billion worth of cuts to science funding in the budget—cuts to the CSIRO, the Australian Research Council, the Australian Institute of Marine Science. Prime Minister, how do massive cuts to Australia's science and research secure Australia's future?

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

This question is typical of the hypocrisy and incoherence of the Labor Party, because the Leader of the Opposition, when he was education minister, was in part responsible for a cut to the budget of the CSIRO. How can it be that there is a sense of absolute disaster and moral outrage when there is a modest cut to the CSIRO by this government, when there was an equal cut to the CSIRO when the Leader of the Opposition was the minister? The Leader of the Opposition thinks that, if Labor cuts the CSIRO, that is a great thing for our country, but for some reason a similar action from this government is wrong. No-one can take this opposition seriously. No-one can take this opposition seriously, and that question proves it.