Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. A self-funded retiree couple with $75,000 of income will be more than $1,600 worse off a year because of the Prime Minister's budget. This includes the Prime Minister's cuts to the seniors supplement, concessions, and the new GP and petrol tax. Why should Australians who have worked their whole lives to support themselves have to pay for the Prime Minister's dishonesty?

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

I call the honourable the Prime Minister. I would add that when members add gratuitous comments at the end of their question it opens up the breadth of the question for answers.

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

The people of Australia elected this government to tackle Labor's debt and deficit disaster. That is exactly what we are doing. We are tackling Labor's debt and deficit disaster, and one of the reasons why there is a debt and deficit disaster which this government has to handle is because members opposite persisted in unaffordable spending sustained by borrowed money.

Mr Dreyfus interjecting—

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

I remind the member for Isaacs that he is warned!

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

I accept that there are some payments that were made by the former government which are not going to be continued by this government. I absolutely accept that. We were up-front pre-election that there were payments that would not be paid by this government that had been paid by the previous government. The point we made again, again and again is that the Australian government cannot continue to live beyond its means. It did live beyond its means under members opposite. That is why members opposite intended to saddle our children and our grandchildren with unsustainable debt, with debt and deficit stretching out as far as the eye can see. That will end under this government.

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

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. The member for Jagajaga on a point of order—which is not simply repeating the question.

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, I have no intention of repeating the question, Madam Speaker, I am just going to tell the Prime Minister this was a Howard government—

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

The member will resume her seat! The member will resume her seat immediately! The member for Jagajaga has already been warned. She knows that was a breach of the use of standing orders and will remove herself under standing order 94(a).

The member for Jagajaga then left the chamber.