Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. I refer the Treasurer to comments yesterday in state parliament by the Western Australian Treasurer, Mr Nahan, who said, and I quote:

Joe Hockey now has the review—

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The member for La Trobe was on his feet and I think you might have assumed that the member for McMahon was taking a point of order, not asking a question, which is tricky but it is not actually allowed.

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

I have to admit that I did see the member for McMahon before I saw the member for La Trobe. The member for McMahon can continue with his question and I will rectify it later.

Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will start again, Madam Speaker. In my question to the Treasurer I referred to comments in the state parliament yesterday by the Western Australian Treasury, Mr Nahan, who said, and I quote: 'Joe Hockey now has the review from the grants commission on his desk, although he will not release it until a short time after the New South Wales election is over.' Why is the Treasurer hiding this report from the people of New South Wales before they vote?

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

I am not. They are in caretaker mode. So what do you think? They are in caretaker mode.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

I know. And I will just add one further thing. I do not think New South Wales should be worried at all—

Opposition members interjecting—

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

The Treasurer will resume his seat.

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

about the outcomes—

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

The Treasurer will resume his seat.

Opposition members interjecting—

The Treasurer will resume his seat. We will have silence on my left. The noise is so great that the Treasurer could not even hear that I asked him to resume his seat. There will be silence to listen to his answer. The Treasurer has the call.

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

I was just saying that I do not think New South Wales should be worried at all about the outcomes of the GST relativities review. Okay? I do not think it will have any impact whatsoever on the New South Wales election. But because they—

Opposition members interjecting—

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

We will have silence, thank you. This noise is getting relatively near the level we had yesterday and it will not be tolerated. The Treasurer has the call to complete his answer.

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

There will be nothing of any concern to the New South Wales government associated with this review. As Mike Nahan actually went on to say in the full transcript of Hansard, because you did not quote the entire Hansard: 'The Treasurer will be providing it to the states just before he meets with the state treasurers in April.' That is a perfectly reasonable way of doing it. So I do not know what the purpose is of this question, other than to give me an opportunity to remind the people of New South Wales that if you care about New South Wales and about New South Wales's future, then vote Liberal and vote National. If you care about the state, that it represents a third of the Australian economy and you want to keep that growth in place, vote Liberal and vote National. And vote No. 1 for your Liberal or National candidate, because of the optional preferential system in that state.

Ms O'Neil interjecting—

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

The member for Hotham will desist!

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

I only wish that some of the other states that are run by the Labor Party could emulate the way that Mike Baird has run New South Wales. Instead it is the Labor Party that is tearing up job-creating projects like the east-west tunnel and the East West Link in Melbourne. They have also got a huge problem associated with their failure to be able to pay for new infrastructure in Queensland. So we are waiting to hear what is happening. The biggest threat to the prosperity of New South Wales is not the GST appropriation. The biggest threat to the prosperity of New South Wales is the threat of Labor being elected in two Saturdays time.