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

My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister confirm that in the past two weeks his advice to young Australians struggling to buy their first home was to have rich parents or to have parents who buy you a home when you turn one. Prime Minister, just how out of touch are you?

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

The Prime Minister has the call. Members on both sides will cease interjecting.

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

There has never been an opposition that has surrendered so totally to a budget as this one. Here we are the day after the budget and not yet one question on the budget itself! I will make this observation about the Leader of the Opposition's question: he referred to a family buying an investment property and he referred to a one-year-old.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Members on my left!

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

He was referring to the Mignaccas in the member for Banks' electorate—a plumber and a social worker, the parents, who have bought an investment property which they are paying off. The proud father and mother said that they were making this investment so that they would have something when their little girl grew up that they could give to her. These are hardworking Australians. This ambition, this aspiration, this desire to make an investment for your children is despised and mocked by the Labor Party. They talk about being out of touch; they are so out of touch. The Mignaccas know that what they are doing is seeking to care for their children—just as the government is setting out to ensure that our children and grandchildren have the opportunities they deserve in the future. That is why we have laid out an economic plan that will deliver jobs and growth for the future, back Australian enterprises, ensure our tax system is sustainable, ensure we bring the budget back into balance and, over time, reduce the burden of debt, which, of course, will weigh heavy on future generations. That is our plan for the Australian economy. That is our plan for the future.

The Labor Party are sneering at the aspirations of parents. They are sneering at the hardworking Australians who seek to make something for their children. And they dare to talk to us about being out of touch! This is a war—a political war—they want to commence against aspiration, against ambition, against enterprise. We stand up for enterprise, we stand up for family businesses. We do not put family businesses out of business—that is the Labor Party's way. We are for enterprise, we are for our children and our grandchildren, with their future in a 21st-century economy underpinned by a strong economic plan for growth and jobs.

Mr Husic interjecting—

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

The member for Chifley will cease interjecting. The first point that I was going to make at the conclusion of the Prime Minister's answer was that the member for Chifley has been interjecting repeatedly. He is warned. The member for Wakefield is warned, as well, for interjecting.

Mr Champion interjecting—

I say to the member for Wakefield that I have asked him to stop interjecting. I now have a warning next to his name. The next action will be to put a line through his name. The member for Macquarie has the call.