House debates

Wednesday, 4 June 2014

Questions without Notice

Budget

2:31 pm

Photo of Chris BowenChris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. I refer the Treasurer, again, to the statement by the Minister for Immigration:

… as we know, the PEFO is where the officials tell the truth about what the budget really is …

Treasurer, isn't it the case that since PEFO, which told the truth about the state of the budget, that you have doubled the budget deficit, adding $68 billion, including $14 billion in new spending decisions, in order to provide an excuse for your budget of broken promises?

Photo of Joe HockeyJoe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | | Hansard source

That is just a false assertion based on a false assertion. And what a surprise! Because I remember the member for Lilley standing at this dispatch box on budget night and announcing that he was going to deliver four surpluses in a row—four surpluses in a row! And the member for Lilley—God bless him! He is my best friend over there; we need more of him—went out last night and said, 'Look, I would have delivered a surplus if only we were re-elected—if only we were re-elected!—Give me another chance,' the member for Lilley said.

Oh, come on—do me a favour here, I am just getting going—

Photo of Chris BowenChris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. If the Treasurer were to be directly relevant he should at least mention his cabinet colleague, the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection and back his judgement.

Photo of Mrs Bronwyn BishopMrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

There is no point of order. The member will resume his seat. The Treasurer has the call.

Photo of Joe HockeyJoe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | | Hansard source

I tell you what, Madam Speaker, there is a real Minister for Immigration sitting there! But I remember you as Minister for Immigration!

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

And so do the people smugglers!

Photo of Joe HockeyJoe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | | Hansard source

The boats—there were more boats coming in than there were planes at Sydney Airport!

Mr Burke interjecting

And I remember him over there as the Minister the Immigration!

Photo of Chris BowenChris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order—

Photo of Mrs Bronwyn BishopMrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The member for McMahon will resume his seat! I will simply say to the Treasurer that he will refer to people by their proper titles. You have a different point of order?

Photo of Chris BowenChris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | | Hansard source

Yes, Madam Speaker. I also recall the Treasurer standing at this dispatch box and saying, 'over his dead body'!

Photo of Mrs Bronwyn BishopMrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

There is no point of order. If the member for McMahon breaches the standing orders in that way again he will leave under standing order 94(a). The Treasurer has the call.

Photo of Joe HockeyJoe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | | Hansard source

He should not be so precious. He should be proud of his record as Minister for Immigration, because they certainly came in! And the member for Watson, to address him by his proper title; he was another great Minister for Immigration.

Photo of Julie OwensJulie Owens (Parramatta, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business) Share this | | Hansard source

The question was about doubling the deficit!

Photo of Mrs Bronwyn BishopMrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The member for Parramatta is warned!

Photo of Joe HockeyJoe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | | Hansard source

But I tell you what, as the boats came in under them the boats stopped under this Minister for Immigration. The boats stopped, and not only that; because the boats have stopped we have saved the budget $2½ billion and we have closed nine detention centres. But most of all, as a result of the actions of this government there are no children floating in the ocean between Australia and East Timor as occurred under Labor!

Opposition members interjecting

Photo of Mr Tony BurkeMr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order—

Photo of Mrs Bronwyn BishopMrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

I will not give the call to the member for Watson until there is silence in the House.

Photo of Brendan O'ConnorBrendan O'Connor (Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | | Hansard source

The SIEV X—

Photo of Mrs Bronwyn BishopMrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

That includes the member for Gorton!

Photo of Mr Tony BurkeMr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, my point of order is on the conduct and tone of this parliament. If they want to start—

Photo of Mrs Bronwyn BishopMrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Where is the standing order?

Photo of Mr Tony BurkeMr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | | Hansard source

after the way they voted on Malaysia; if they want to start running that sort of argument which we have not in return—

Photo of Mrs Bronwyn BishopMrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The member will resume his seat. The Treasurer has the call.

Photo of Joe HockeyJoe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | | Hansard source

I am happy to talk about records. This Minister for Immigration has stopped the boats, and he has stopped the deaths at sea—

Ms Plibersek interjecting

Photo of Mrs Bronwyn BishopMrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The member the Sydney will desist!

Photo of Joe HockeyJoe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | | Hansard source

We are proud of the policies that have actually prevented people from dying at sea when trying to get to Australia. And in the interim, he has saved the budget $2½ billion and we have closed nine detention centres. And in the interim we have got on with the job of fixing the mess they left behind.

Mr Shorten interjecting

Photo of Mrs Bronwyn BishopMrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition will desist—

Photo of Richard MarlesRichard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | | Hansard source

You've voted with the Greens, Joe. It's Malaysia!

Photo of Mrs Bronwyn BishopMrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

as will the member for Corio.

Photo of Joe HockeyJoe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | | Hansard source

We have fixed up the mess. It is not just—and I know this is embarrassing for Labor, but I say to you—that we do not fix up the mess just where it lies in the budget; we have to fix up the mess in every other policy area.

Photo of Richard MarlesRichard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | | Hansard source

You've created the mess! You voted with the Greens, Joe!

Photo of Mrs Bronwyn BishopMrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The member for Corio will desist! The member for Corio is warned!

Photo of Joe HockeyJoe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | | Hansard source

From the NBN, to immigration through to welfare, health and education—we will clean up all the mess that Labor left behind in every single policy area.