Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. In the last two years, the Treasurer wasn't told that the date of the budget had changed, wasn't told about the plan for state income taxes, booked a Press Club speech to argue for a GST increase only to have the Prime Minister abandon the idea and was kept in the dark about the royal commission terms of reference, despite the Minister for Revenue and Financial Services working on them for a long time. Why is the Treasurer always out of the loop? Is it because he's also always out of his depth?

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

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

Members on my right! I make this point to the member for McMahon: I have always said that I like free-flowing debate, and I don't want to be overly strict with the standing orders. But I make the point to him, perhaps in preparation, that questions like that really mean the Treasurer can say anything he wants in reply to that last point and be relevant.

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

Taking lessons from the shadow Treasurer is like getting driving lessons from a drunk driver. This muppet of a shadow Treasurer, seriously, was the one who was presiding over jobs growth, as a Treasurer, which was barely a quarter. Speaking of muppets—

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

The member for McEwen?

Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think the—

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

The member for McEwen will come to his point of order. He's not going to tell me what he thinks; he's going to come to the point of order.

Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The term he's used against the shadow Treasurer should be withdrawn.

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

I didn't hear the term.

Mr Rob Mitchell interjecting—

If the member for McEwen—even as Second Deputy Speaker—wants to argue with me because I didn't hear something in the noise, I'm sorry, but I'm not going to put up with it. I'm really not. You're the Second Deputy Speaker. It's ridiculous.

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

I am not surprised the member for McEwen would answer the call if I used that phrase. I'm sure he'd be very quick to hear his name called. But, on the very broad question put to me by the shadow Treasurer, it gives me the opportunity to refer to some of the things that the shadow Treasurer has said in recent days, rather than raising questions about the economy and going on with all his nonsense, because the only way he does his economic research is reading the newspaper and looking at fictitious reports.

Let me remind you what he said to Leigh Sales the other day about someone he described as a patriotic and loyal Australian, his good friend Senator Sam Dastyari. He said to Leigh Sales: 'Let me make this clear. Sam Dastyari is a patriotic and loyal Australian. Assertions to the contrary I reject. He made mistakes. I suspect there's nobody in Australia who couldn't have made a mistake at some point in their career'—that's certainly true of the shadow Treasurer—'and he paid a substantial price. He'll be paying the price for some time.'

If he's got to pay a price for anything, we know where he'll get the money from, shadow Treasurer. He'll go to his mates and borrow it or be given it by some foreign influence. This is the shadow Treasurer's best mate, the person he is putting his own credibility on the line for—he has gone to the mattresses for Senator Sam Dastyari. So, if he speaks in this way about Senator Dastyari we can only assume he is in complete truck with Senator Dastyari. This is not someone who can be trusted with the Treasury of this nation. He is so quick to stand up for Senator Sam Dastyari, a man who cheated on his country, a man who disgraced the Labor Party, a man who, last time he was caught out on this, was given the equivalent of a speeding fine or the suspension of his library privileges, and apparently this was some great price that was paid. If that's what the shadow Treasurer thinks, then he is totally signed up to the Craig Thomson defence for Sam Dastyari. The shadow Treasurer should be ashamed of himself for supporting such a shameful figure.