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

My question is to the Prime Minister. In June 2014, when asked if he supported the government's first budget, the now Prime Minister said:

I support unreservedly and wholeheartedly every element in the Budget. Every single one.

Will the Prime Minister change the substance of this government or is it just about its style?

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question. The Leader of the Opposition would be very well aware that we operate a cabinet system of government in Australia, and every member of the cabinet supports the cabinet's decisions. All of the cabinet supported that budget. When the Leader of the Opposition invites me to unilaterally disown one policy or another, he demonstrates that he fails to understand that cabinet government—

Ms Butler interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Griffith is warned.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

is a collective method of making decisions. We are a cabinet government. I will lead a traditional cabinet government. Policies will change in the light of changed conditions. Of course they will. They will change all the time. They have to—under any government. But the cabinet stand by every decision we make and, as we revise them and improve them in the light of experience, we will stand by those too. The honourable member is inviting me to make a unilateral decision, and he should not be surprised to be disappointed.