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 has refused to guarantee today that Australia's future nurses and scientists will not be saddled with higher fees and greater debts as a result of the budget you have just brought down. Will the Prime Minister at least guarantee young Australians that they will not be forced to choose between going to university or owning their own home as a result of his election lies?

A government member: He should withdraw lies, Madam Speaker.

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

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. Yesterday I asked you to withdraw the term 'lies' and to rephrase your question. I would ask you to do the same today.

Mr Snowdon interjecting—

The member for Lingiari.

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

I withdraw. I think we all know the question, Prime Minister. Will you guarantee at the very least that, because of your short-term budget, young Australians will not have to choose between going to university or being able to get a mortgage and own their own home in the future?

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

I should make a number of points in response to the Leader of the Opposition's question. First of all, we believe that the students and prospective students of Australia are more than capable of making decisions based on what is best for them and we also believe that universities of Australia are more than capable of making decisions on the basis of what is good for institutions and good for the students who attend those institutions. We do not believe that these people and these institutions are so inept, so self-centred and so incompetent that they cannot be trusted to look after their own futures. That is the first point I want to make.

The second point I want to make is that every dollar of any fees will be covered by FEE-HELP loans, as you would expect. These are probably the most advantageous loans that anyone will ever receive. The other point I want to make is that the FEE-HELP system is for the first time being extended to a whole range of educational institutions, including institutions that are providing diploma and other courses. We are extending the range of help available to students; we are extending help to a much wider range of students. I should also point out that what is good for university students—

Ms Owens interjecting—

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

The member for Parramatta.

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

should also be good for apprentices, and we are making loans available to apprentices on the same basis that we are making loans available to students.

The final point I make is: fair enough, the Leader of the Opposition is concerned about debts incurred by students but at least those students would be coming into it with their eyes open. What about the debt—

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

What about the debt that the former government settled every Australian with? What about that debt? What about the $667 billion of debt that was just going up and up and up?

Honourable members interjecting—

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

There will be silence on my right and on my left. The Prime Minister will resume his seat. We will have silence and then the Prime Minister will have the call again to complete his answer.

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

How can the Leader of the Opposition be crying crocodile tears over debts faced by students, which they will have every ability to repay in a stronger economy, and have no interest whatsoever in the debt that the government in which he served ran up and up and endlessly up? No wonder no-one takes this opposition leader seriously. Time expired