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 week the Prime Minister has claimed that he is not cutting veterans' pensions, so why do his own budget papers show on page 203—

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

There are no props.

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

This budget is certainly not a prop. So why do his own budget papers—

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

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. The Leader of the Opposition knows perfectly well that, on the last question he asked, I said there are no props. I mean it. The Leader of the Opposition has the floor.

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

Madam Speaker, is your ruling that I cannot hold up the government's budget?

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

Correct. That is something I made quite clear some time ago.

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

Well, no-one else can hold it up. My question is to the Prime Minister. This week the Prime Minister has claimed that he is not cutting veterans' pensions. Why, then, do his own budget papers show, on page 203, $65 million in savings from the cuts the Prime Minister is making to the veterans?

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

I make two points in response to the Leader of the Opposition, and the first point is that pensions go up every six months. They go up every March and every September—this year, next year and the year after that.

Ms Macklin interjecting—

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

The member for Jagajaga will desist.

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

On a point of order, Madam Speaker: this was a question with no preamble and no argument, referring to a page of the budget papers that shows a cut.

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

This is a point of order with no preamble either. The member will resume his seat.

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

There are no cuts to pensions, because pensions go up every six months, every year. They go up in March and September this year, they go up in March and September next year and they go up in March and September the year after that. It is true that after September 2017 they will go up by the rate of indexation that members opposite, the Labor Party, thought was entirely fair for the family tax benefit.

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

We have explained to the Australian people how we are going to deal with Labor's debt and deficit disaster. It is about time that Labor explained how it would deal with Labor's debt and deficit disaster. Just for once, I say to the opposition: 'Outbid us on the quality of your ideas, not the strength of your negativity.' Who said that?

Mr Thistlethwaite interjecting—

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

The member for Kingsford Smith—caterwauling is not in order. We will have some silence.

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

I am not surprised that the Leader of the Opposition recognises that statement, because that is exactly what he said. We have told the Australian people how we are going to clean up Labor's debt and deficit disaster, and the Leader of the Opposition should tell us how he is going to fix the mess that he and his colleagues have created.