Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. The Liberal government already has plans for $100,000 degrees, so will the Prime Minister rule out increasing the cost of going to university even more by applying a 15 per cent GST to education?

Mr Nikolic interjecting—

Mr Hutchinson interjecting—

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

The member for Bass and the member for Lyons will cease interjecting. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

The honourable member wants us to provide details about a policy we do not have. I think I have answered this as best I can several times—these rather will-o'-the-wisp questions. But I think the honourable member would be assisted by the Treasurer responding on this occasion.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is right: we have heard a lot of hypothetical questions about policies the government does not have, but there are plenty of policies on the other side that they will not even explain. The Leader of the Opposition, when he was a minister, agreed with the Prime Minister without even knowing what she said, and now he wants to ask questions of us about policies we do not have! He remains confused.

But what we are not confused about is the some $59.6 billion in expanded spending and commitments that those opposite are out there with—some $60 billion. There is some $3.6 billion in savings and revenue measures that they proposed when they were in government and they now oppose when they are in opposition. There are savings and revenue measures that have been proposed by the government that they are now blocking—that is some $5.4 billion. This is spending Labor say that they must restore from the savings that we have been able to achieve—some $33½ billion; a further $1.1 billion in budget savings that Labor say—

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

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order.

Mr Husic interjecting—

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

The member for Chifley will cease interjecting. That is his final warning. The member for Sydney on a point of order.

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

Thank you, Mr Speaker. The point of order—

Ms Julie Bishop interjecting—

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

The minister for immigration will cease interjecting.

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

No-one will ever say that about you.

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

The member for Sydney will come to her point of order or she will resume her seat. I am waiting to hear your point of order.

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

The point of order is on relevance. This is about a GST on education. Are you going to talk about a GST or education?

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

The member for Sydney will resume her seat. The Treasurer has the call.

Mrs McNamara interjecting—

The member for Dobell will cease interjecting.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know that the member has problems with geography, but she obviously also has problems with policy, and the problem with what she has asked is: there is no GST on education. There is not one, so you are off in fantasy land. But what is not a fantasy is that they continue to frustrate the government and block savings—

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

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

The member for Sydney will cease interjecting.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

and they continue to say to the Australian people that they do not want to spend more than they save, but that is what exactly what they are going to do—some $59.6 billion worth of commitments they have over and above what is in the budget and forward estimates of the government, and they have, to pay for it, $5.1 billion. That is it: $5.1 billion of savings and revenue measures to account for almost $60 billion worth of commitments. They are spending their savings and revenue 12 times over. They have learnt nothing while they have been in opposition, nothing about their sins in government and the sort of fiscal mess they got themselves tied up in. And they have the gall to come in here and ask questions about policies that do not even exist.