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

My question is to the Acting Prime Minister. In light of today's national account figures, can he explain why his government's ugly budget is putting a new tax on petrol, putting a new tax on going to the doctor, hurting pensioners and veterans, hurting families, cutting $80 billion from schools and hospitals, and damaging consumer and business confidence? Why is this government persisting with an ugly budget that is hurting millions of Australians?

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Clearly, as the Treasurer has just reported, the account figures are encouraging. It is a clear demonstration of the fact that we have government now that has declared Australia open for business and is already starting to make a difference. But we are by no means yet out of the woods. There is still a lot more work that will have to be done.

Ms Owens interjecting—

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

The member for Parramatta will desist.

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We have still got to have a succession of budgets that turn around the cycle of deficits which Labor delivered—the five biggest deficits in our country's history. Our debt continues to rise, already costing us $1 billion a month in interest, and, if left unchecked, would peak at $667 billion. So we have got a long, hard task ahead of us. We needed a budget at this time that demonstrated to the community that we were prepared to take the tough decisions—

Ms Macklin interjecting—

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

The member for Jagajaga will desist.

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

and to get our economy on the straight and narrow once again. We need to demonstrate that we are there for the long run; that we are prepared to make the decisions which will deliver for our country not just one good quarterly result but repeat that again and again and again, so our nation can reach the stage where it can stand proud once again and we can achieve our potential, and deliver for the Australian people the services and facilities that they want.

Mr Perrett interjecting—

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

The member for Moreton has been warned. One more time and he is gone.

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We welcome the growth figures that have been announced today, but there is still a long, long task ahead of us.

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

My question is to the Treasurer. Treasurer, you would be aware I am voting against supply. Given Labor's—

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

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

There will be silence on my right to allow the question to be asked. The member for Denison has the call. There will be silence on my right.

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

Given Labor's and the Greens' strident criticism of the budget, we would reasonably expect them to join me. But we have already had the excuse, from, at least, Labor, that public servants' and other payments stop if appropriation bills are blocked. As this is obviously wrong, due to procedural safeguards, will you commit to redo the budget or take it to an election if supply is in fact blocked?

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

Before I call the honourable the Treasurer, I would advise the member for Denison that we no longer have supply bills; they are now obsolete. We use appropriation bills, and I presume they are the ones you are referring to.

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

I thank the honourable member for his question. I wish he would not vote against the appropriation bills; I wish he would not do that, notwithstanding the fact that the opposition is obviously not going to block supply, as it is commonly known. And why? Because Australians expect stable government, no matter who it is. They expect stable government. And they expect that the government should be able to engage in appropriations for the best interests of the economy and the best interests of the community. I understand that you are seeking to make a point about the budget, but it is more a political point than a policy point. I wish we would get some constructive policy suggestions from all of those critics, because no-one is offering a credible alternative.

In the brief moment I had between a press conference on the national accounts and coming into question time, I managed to hear Bob Hawke. He is a good man, Bob Hawke.

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

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

The member for Sydney will desist.

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

He is a real leader of the Labor Party. I bet they wish they had Bob Hawke back! But they do not.

Mr Shorten interjecting—

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

The honourable the Leader of the Opposition will desist.

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

Bob Hawke said, 'Sooner or later, an opposition needs to provide alternative policies if they really want to get elected.' The Labor Party created the budget mess. They are doing everything they can to stop us from fixing it. Even they have actually, in part, admitted that there is a budget mess. Old buggerlugs over there, the member for Lilley, confessed to Bob Carr that there is a real budget mess, and of course the Leader of the Opposition suggested there is a real budget 'task'.

Government members: A 'task'!

A 'task'! I suggest that is a call to action, in some sort. But there is a budget task. The thing is: the Labor Party is offering no alternative. Indeed, Member for Denison: what is your alternative? What is your alternative to Labor's legacy of $667 billion of debt? What is your alternative to Labor's legacy of deficits as far as the eye can see? What is your alternative to Labor's legacy of unemployment rising to 6¼ per cent—of over 700,000 Australians being unemployed? What are your policy alternatives over there? There are none. And why? Because we have the chief clerk of the national complaints desk here, who is more about complaining than providing an alternative scenario. We know the budget is difficult. We know the budget is tough. The fiscal consolidation is less than budgets we have brought down in previous years, and less than Labor's previous budgets. But the budget is right for Australia and it is right for the Australian economy.