Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Has the minister been given a guarantee that there will be no further cuts to her portfolio? What prompted this guarantee? Does the minister have any advice for her cabinet colleagues on how to avoid further cuts in their portfolios?

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her question. Yes, the Australian aid budget is under pressure. There is one reason it is under pressure—the Australian Labor Party. While Labor was wasting billions of dollars on $900 cheque giveaways, on pink batts, on an $11 billion blowout in our border protection, was there any concern about the sustainability of the Australian aid budget? When we have to find $1 billion a month just to pay off Labor's debt—just to pay the interest on Labor's debt—do we hear any concerns from Labor about our aid budget? Spare me the crocodile tears. Labor is responsible for the pressure that the aid budget is under. If Labor is so concerned about the aid budget, why is Labor not passing the $5 billion in savings that Labor itself identified? If you are concerned about the aid budget, look into the mirror. You are the ones that are putting the aid budget under pressure.

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition maintains that an $11 billion has been cut from the aid budget. I call upon the Deputy Leader of the Opposition: come to the dispatch box and confirm that Labor will put $11 billion back into the aid budget, and then say where you are going to find the savings. Then say what you are going to cut for the budget. Schools? Hospitals? Education? Training? Where are you going to find the $11 billion?

While Labor goes on with its crocodile tears about the aid budget, not once does it admit that it is responsible for the pressure that the aid budget is under. It is Labor's $11 billion blow-out in border protection, $900 cheque giveaways, pink batts, school halls—that is what put the aid budget under pressure.

Ms Owens and Mr Perrett interjecting—

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

The members for Parramatta and Moreton are both warned.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The record debt and deficit that we inherited from Labor puts pressure on the aid budget. As Bob Carr said—it is not my wont to quote Bob Carr often—'You cannot run aid on borrowings.' That is the pressure the aid budget is under. If Labor has any concern about it, pass the $5 billion in savings.

Honourable members interjecting—

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

There will be silence on both sides of the House. I will not tolerate this degree of noise again this week, and if it simply means that the people who are the noisiest getting removed the first and earliest, so be it.