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

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to an interview that the Treasurer conducted on radio this morning. When he was asked why he has gone from a rooster to a feather duster in a very short time, the Treasurer replied, 'That's a bit unfair.' Prime Minister, what is more unfair: the Treasurer's hurt feelings or his rotten budget hurting millions of Australians?

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

There will be silence for the answer, and that includes the member for Charlton!

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

Do you know why I respect and admire this Treasurer? I respect and admire this Treasurer because he is serious about grappling with the problems that this country faces. This Treasurer and this government are serious about tackling the long-term problems that this country faces, but members opposite are just in denial. They are simply in denial. There is something deeply distressing for the future of our country when the alternative government is in denial—

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

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

The member for Sydney will desist!

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

about the problem that it created, because that is the situation that we are in now. Members opposite know that a surplus is important. They know that no country can persistently run up—

Ms Owens interjecting—

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

The member for Parramatta is warned!

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

deficit after deficit after deficit. After running up more than a quarter of a trillion dollars in cumulative deficits, after giving us the six worst budget results in Australian history, after giving us a cumulative projected debt of $667 billion 10 years out and $123 billion of projected further deficits—after doing all of that—after booby trapping the budget with unsustainable spending years and years into the future, now they are trying to sabotage the solution. That is what they are doing. They booby trapped the budget for their own political purposes, and now they are trying to sabotage the solution. Frankly, it is absolutely contemptible.

Ms Butler interjecting—

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

The member for Griffith is warned!

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

This government is serious. We have made a good start on the task of budget repair. We have made a very good start on the task of budget repair. More than three-quarters of the budget measures are now fully implemented—some $17 billion worth of fiscal improvement over the forward estimates. We have made a good start.

And the tragedy is that the Labor Party, the once-great Labor Party that used to have a long-term commitment to the economic future of this country, have completely abdicated. They have completely abdicated. What that shows is that the Leader of the Opposition has an entirely failed the ultimate test of leadership. He was a senior part of the worst government in our history. He has learnt nothing, and he cannot change.