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

My question is to the Prime Minister. Since the government came to office the deficit has tripled, schools, hospitals and pensions have been cut and now the government is running scared on revealing the 10-year cost of its budget centrepiece. Why is the government delivering the exact opposite of what it promised Australians?

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

Two premiers summed up the opposition leader's approach to spending very well. Jay Weatherill, the Labor Premier of South Australia, said, with respect to the Leader of the Opposition's plans for education school spending, that he had no 'coherent plan' to fund them—

Mr Conroy interjecting—

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

The member for Charlton has been warned.

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

and that was before Jay Weatherill knew about the $20 billion black hole in their calculation of the tobacco tax! There was no coherent plan before that was revealed; now the black hole looks even deeper and darker.

The other Premier who absolutely nailed the reality of these promises from the Labor Party was Colin Barnett. Colin Barnett is the only Premier still in office who was at the famous Gillard COAG meeting where all of these promises and deals were signed—the 27 different funding arrangements relating to schools funding and the hospital commitment. Colin Barnett nailed it when he said that everybody knew the money was not there; everybody knew that she could not pay for it; everybody knew that it was a fantasy.

The Leader of the Opposition is presenting Julia Gillard's unfunded promises with a fresh coat of paint.

Opposition members interjecting—

They call out: 'rubbish'. Well, we will find out tonight. Tonight is the night they will tell us how they are going to fill in the black hole. I will be there. Will it be more taxes? I think it must be. Will it be lots more borrowing? I think that is going to be part of it.

We are living within our means. We have set out a budget. Every dollar of spending in that budget is funded. It is set out there. Everything is funded. We have set that out and we have set out our national economic plan for growth and jobs. We have set out generous increases in funding for schools and for hospitals—record funding every year. It is the highest funding for schools in the history of the Commonwealth, but it is tied to outcomes, because we think literacy and numeracy are very important. What we are doing is ensuring, for example, that children will be assessed when they go to school, so that they can be given the support they need.

Mr Bowen interjecting—

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

The member for McMahon will cease interjecting.

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

But, above all, we know that every measure we laid out—every measure—will encourage economic growth. It will encourage investment; it will cover employment; it will encourage jobs. Everything the Labor Party has proposed to date, whether it is its increase in housing tax, with the abolition of negative gearing— (Time expired)

An opposition member interjecting—

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

I am giving the call to the member for Lyons. The member for Lyons is next. The Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition take precedence, but not shadow ministers.