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

My question is to the Prime Minister. The government is already cutting $80 billion from schools and hospitals. Now the Treasurer has confirmed that he is looking at further cuts. How much more can this Prime Minister possibly cut from schools and hospitals in Australia?

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

Yet again, the premise of the Leader of the Opposition's question is simply false. No Labor budget provided the $80 billion for schools and hospitals that the Leader of the Opposition now claims.

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

The Leader of the Opposition will keep his props down.

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

It is not a prop.

Mr Albanese interjecting—

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

It is a prop, and if it goes up again you will leave the chamber. And the member for Grayndler—one more utterance and you will leave the chamber.

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

There were pie-in-the-sky promises, absolutely undeliverable pie-in-the-sky promises from the members opposite, but the $80 billion that the Leader of the Opposition refers to never appeared in any Labor budget. How can you cut something that never existed? Let me make it absolutely crystal clear: public hospital funding goes up nine per cent this year, nine per cent next year, nine per cent the year after that and six per cent in the final year of the budget. Schools funding goes up eight per cent this year, eight per cent next year, eight per cent the year after that and six per cent in the final year of the budget. We are increasing funding on schools and hospitals. The difference between the government and the opposition is that under this government spending is sustainable. Under the members opposite, spending was completely out of control. That is why we have the debt and deficit disaster that this government is now fixing.

Louise Markus (Macquarie, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. Would the Treasurer outline the importance of consistent and predictable budget policy? What measures are being taken by the government to fix the budget?

Mr Champion interjecting—

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

The member for Wakefield is warned.

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

I thank the honourable member for Macquarie for her question. On each occasion the member for Macquarie has gone to the polls she has promised the Australian people that we would get on with the job of fixing the budget, and we are. We are getting on with the job of fixing the mess that was left to us by the Australian Labor Party—$123 billion of deficits and $667 billion of debt. The thing is that once upon a time the Labor Party believed in that as well. The Labor Party once believed that we had to ensure that the budget gets back to surplus. At this very dispatch box in 2012 the member for Lilley, who is obviously in a witness protection program this week, said:

We will be back in the black by 2012-13, on time, as promised.

He went on to say:

The alternative — meandering back to surplus — would compound the pressures in our economy and push up the cost of living for pensioners and working people.

Under Labor they did not meander back to surplus, they went AWOL. They absolutely disappeared when it came to a surplus. They promised a surplus and then claimed they were delivering a surplus, but they went missing. They never delivered a surplus. Now is the time to fix the budget. It must be done now. If we want jobs, if we want prosperity, if we want to be competitive in the days, months and years ahead, now is the time to start fixing the budget. We must do so. And there are a hell of a lot of early warning devices out there—the governor of the Reserve Bank said, 'Now is the time to fix the budget.' The Secretary of the Treasury said, 'Now is the time to fix the budget.' Even Dr John Edwards, a former advisor to Paul Keating, said, 'Now is the time to fix the budget.' After our government was elected, Paul Keating said, 'Now is the time to fix the budget.' Bob Hawke said, 'Now is the time to fix the budget.' The Labor Party used to say, 'Now is the time to fix the budget.' But they are now opposing everything we are doing. The weird thing is that they are opposing everything that they were going to do.

Mr Champion interjecting—

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

The member for Wakefield will remove himself under 94A.

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

That is why we have introduced the Labor 2013-14 Budget Savings (Measures No. 1) Bill. We are asking the Labor Party not just to support our promises to fix the budget; we are also asking them to support their own promises to fix the budget. All we are doing is asking them to keep their promises. All we are asking them to do is to stay true to their own budget of last year. If we all work together we can ensure there are more jobs for Australians and a more prosperous economy.