Michael Danby (Melbourne Ports, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister confirm that, because of his budget, a single income family earning $65,000 with two kids will be $6,000 worse off? This includes a new $2.2 billion petrol tax found on page 17 of your budget. Why should Australian families have to pay for the Prime Minister's deception?

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

We were absolutely up-front that we were eliminating the schoolkids bonus and we were absolutely up-front that we were going to tackle the debt and deficit disaster.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

I cannot hear the answer at all, and neither can you, so you will desist and be silent.

Mr Watts interjecting—

The member for Gellibrand will leave under standing order 94(a).

The member for Gellibrand then left the chamber.

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

As for fuel excise indexation, that was a policy that was introduced by members opposite and it is a policy which has been resumed by this government. It is a policy that was introduced by members opposite—

Mr Champion interjecting—

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

The member who made that interjection will withdraw and leave the chamber for one hour under standing order 94(a).

Nick Champion (Wakefield, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw.

The member for Wakefield then left the chamber.

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

So it comes passing strange for members opposite to be complaining about fuel excise indexation when it is a Labor tax. It is a Labor tax that was invented by the Labor Party and it has been restored by this government as a revenue measure. It will cost the average family some 40c a week in the coming financial year.

I accept that there have been some tough decisions in this budget. I accept that. I accept that this government has made some hard choices in this budget. We had to make tough decisions. We had to make hard choices because members opposite consistently shirked the tough decisions, the necessary decisions, that were needed to sort out the debt and deficit disaster that they themselves had created.

But I say to the member who asked the question that, if you are a single income earner on $60,000 a year with three dependents, one aged under six and two aged between six and 13, you will continue to receive $17,920 a year from the social security system.

Mr Mitchell interjecting—

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

The Second Deputy Speaker will desist!

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

The difference between this government and members opposite is that this government wants all workers' jobs to be more secure. That is why we are—

Ms Ryan interjecting—

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

The member for Lalor is not even in her own seat and not entitled to speak at all!

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

scrapping job-destroying, economy-wrecking taxes, and we want the social security system to be sustainable. A social security system that is run on borrowed money simply is not sustainable. We are fixing Labor's debt and deficit disaster. We have explained to the Australian people how we will fix the debt and deficit disaster that we inherited. It is high time that Labor explained what they will do to address the debt and deficit disaster that they created.