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

My question is to the Assistant Minister for Defence. In 2011, the assistant minister attacked a three per cent wage increase offered to Defence personnel as 'outrageous' because it was below inflation. The assistant minister's current offer is 1½ per cent and cuts Christmas and recreational leave. If three per cent was 'outrageous' then, how does the assistant minister describe his own government's pay offer? Is it cheap, is it shameful, is that appalling or just an absolute disgrace?

Mr McCormack interjecting—

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

The member for Riverina will desist.

Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. If someone wants to speak about cheap and shameless, it is the Leader of the Opposition. You sat in cabinet when $16 billion was cut out of the Defence budget.

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

The minister will resume his seat and the Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. The minister will refer to people by their correct titles.

Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The Leader of the Opposition sat in cabinet in the last government while $16 billion was cut out of the Defence budget.

Mr Dreyfus interjecting—

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

The member for Isaacs will desist.

Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A budget cut to the lowest levels since 1938! Not only did the Leader of the Opposition and the previous government cut $16 billion; the last two years of their pay offer was 2.5 per cent. In 2011—

Mr Conroy interjecting—

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

The member for Charlton will desist.

Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

when three per cent was offered, the Defence budget was substantially higher than what it is now. In 2011, when the last pay case was put forward, $16 billion had not been pulled out of the budget. So you left this government in the shameful position—

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

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I think it would also help the assistant minister if he directed his comments through the chair.

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

The Assistant Minister for Defence has the call.

Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you Madam Speaker. The Leader of the Opposition and the previous government left this government with a cupboard that is completely bare. We would love to pay our soldiers more money. We would love it, but we do not have the money. We simply do not have the funds—that is the reality. If we were to pay our fighting men and women 1.5 per cent more, do you know what that equals? It equals two weeks of the interest bill that the previous government left us. That is it—just two weeks of their interest bill! We could pay an extra 1.5 per cent to our soldiers—

Mr Thistlethwaite interjecting—

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

The member for Kingsford Smith will desist!

Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

for just 14 days worth of interest that the previous government left us. If the Leader of the Opposition is so concerned about how much we can afford to pay our soldiers, our sailors and our air men and women, a dialogue could be started between the Labor Party and this government in the Senate to clear $20 billion worth of savings. The opposition cannot sit there and claim that we should be paying more funds when those funds are not available, when they are stuck in the Senate because the opposition is not being constructive. And you talk about shameless opportunism!