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

My question is to the Prime Minister. This morning, in an extraordinary interview with David Speers on Sky News, the Prime Minister said of his 10-year tax cut for big business, 'The Treasury has not identified the dollar cost of that particular item.' Why did the Prime Minister make his 10-year plan the centrepiece of his budget when, by his own admission, he has not even asked Treasury to identify the 10-year cost?

Mr Pyne interjecting—

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

The Leader of the House will cease interjecting.

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

The Leader of the Opposition's childish efforts this morning, rehearsed now again, overlook the fact that, as he well knows, the Charter of Budget Honesty Act stipulates the budget papers must contain details of policy and estimates for the budget year and the following three years—forward estimates. That is precisely what has been followed at every budget, including those brought down by the member for Lilley, since 1998. The exact forecasts and projections of costs of our enterprise tax plan over the forward estimates are clearly set out in Budget Paper No. 2, on page 41.

Labor are on record as acknowledging that a company tax cut is good for jobs and good for the economy. Modelling published by the Treasury last year shows that, for every dollar of company tax cut, there is a return to the economy of as much as $4. The Leader of the Opposition and the member for McMahon, the shadow Treasurer, know this, which is why they have previously strongly supported a cut in company tax. Let us get to what is really motivating Labor's interest in this issue. They are desperately scurrying around trying to find money in the budget to fill up their massive black hole. In stark contrast, our national economic plan for jobs and growth encourages the very enterprise and investment we need to create the jobs of the future.

In terms of the medium-term projections in the budget papers, as the honourable members opposite know full well, they do not set out in the budget papers all of the line items that underpin those projections. They know that. It has been ever thus. Indeed, they understand that the medium-term projections make assumptions about the continuation of government policy and, as I said to Mr Speers, they take into account, as the Treasury has done, the government's Ten Year Enterprise Tax Plan. They are taken into account and they show, as the honourable members know—as it is set out in the graph on 311—the budget returning to balance within that medium term.

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

The only reason I did not sit the Prime Minister down through that wall of interjections was that I am not going to continually interrupt the House. There was a wall of interjections, mostly from members who are warned every day. I am not going to repeatedly warn through this day. I know passions are running high, but the members for Griffith, Adelaide, Wakefield and Ballarat are warned. If they continue behaving in that fashion, they will be out of question time straightaway.

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

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. During the Prime Minister's answer, the member for Lilley, who should know better, was swearing disgracefully at the Prime Minister. He was swearing and shouting profanities at the Prime Minister and he should be required to withdraw.

Government members interjecting—

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

Members on my right will cease interjecting. Did the member for Lilley make an unparliamentary remark?

Government members interjecting —

Members on my right will cease interjecting.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I certainly was not swearing, Mr Speaker.

Government members interjecting—

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

I say to the member for Lilley that he has been asked previously to withdraw unparliamentary remarks. I am asking him whether he made an unparliamentary remark, and I caution—

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I did not make an unparliamentary remark.

Government members interjecting—

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

I say to—

Mr Frydenberg interjecting—

The Minister for Resources will not interject while I am addressing the House. I say to the member for Lilley that I am in a difficult situation when I have not heard the remark through that wall of interjection. As a senior member of the House, he has attested to the House that he did not make an unparliamentary remark.

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

Mr Speaker, I do not want to repeat the word that he was using, because that is exactly what he wants me to do. But he knows that he has just told a gross untruth to the House.

Mr Husic interjecting—

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

The member for Chifley is warned!

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

The word that he used could not possibly be parliamentary. I am happy to write the word down for you and hand it to you, Mr Speaker, but I will not put it on the Hansard and give him the respect that he is looking for to have that remark repeated.

Honourable members interjecting—

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

I am going to hear from the Manager of Opposition Business, and I ask the Leader of the House to resume his seat. I give the call to the Manager of Opposition Business.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, the claim that was just made by the Leader of the House, an allegation against a member deliberately misleading the House, is itself unparliamentary and needs to be withdrawn.

Mr Pyne interjecting—

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

The Leader of the House will resume his seat. I am going to rule on this—

Mrs McNamara interjecting—

The member for Dobell will resume her seat. I am well aware that she is wanting to ask a question when we get to back to question time. In the circumstances I can only accept the word of the member, but I will be listening as closely as I can and, if I hear unparliamentary remarks from the member for Lilley or, for that matter, any other member, I will take that matter very seriously. I caution the member for Lilley, because he has refused to withdraw unparliamentary remarks before. I am assuming that he wishes to hear the Leader of the Opposition's speech tonight. We are now going to move on, and I give the call to the member for Dobell.