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

My question is to the Prime Minister. Yesterday the Prime Minister, his Treasurer and his Minister for Finance failed eight times to tell the Australian people the total cost of corporate tax cuts over 10 years from 1 July this year, both legislated and proposed to be legislated by this government. Given that the Prime Minister has now had 24 hours to confirm the facts, I repeat: what is the total cost of corporate tax cuts over 10 years from 1 July 2018, both legislated and proposed to be legislated?

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

I thank the honourable member for his question. This is the deliverer of rolled-gold guarantees. He is a guaranteed deliverer of Olympic proportions. He gave a rolled-gold guarantee that all of his members, including the ones that have just resigned, were eligible to sit in the House. And he did so after the High Court had made it abundantly clear last year that they were not eligible. Oh, yes, he did. He kept on saying they were fine—and of course he was backed up by that booming advocate, the member for Isaacs—a reminder of the late Neville Wran when he said, 'Anyone can go to jail if they get the right lawyer.'

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

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business (House)) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on direct relevance: the question was very specific. If the Prime Minister wants to talk about what the High Court will so hold, he can do so in answer to a Dixer.

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

Just before I call the Prime Minister, members on both sides: that is a reasonable point of order. I allowed the Prime Minister some latitude and I was sure he was going to come straight to the substance of the question. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

Mr Speaker, you're absolutely right: I'm coming straight to the substance of the question, and the substance of the question is tax. The substance of the question is the $200 billion—more than $200 billion—of tax the Leader of the Opposition is proposing to impose on the Australian economy.

The reality is, when it comes to company tax, the Leader of the Opposition himself stood right here, during the Labor government, and said reducing company tax increases investment, improves productivity, increases employment and results in better wages. He said all of that, and he said it again and again and again. And you know what? He was right. The reality is, however, that you cannot trust the Leader of the Opposition, whether he's giving a rolled-gold guarantee or just a sort of a silver-plated guarantee. None of his undertakings can be trusted, whether they are to the workers at Cleanevent, to Kevin Rudd or Julia Gillard.

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

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order?

Honourable members interjecting—

Members will cease interjecting. I want to hear from—

Mr Wallace interjecting—

The member for Fisher is warned. The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business (House)) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, you gave an earlier ruling, and the Prime Minister is now defying that ruling.

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

I say to the Manager of Opposition Business that I'll be the judge of whether anyone is defying the ruling.

Mr Pyne interjecting—

I don't need the Leader of the House—

Mr Pyne interjecting—

His interjections are regular, but they're not persuasive! The Prime Minister is speaking about company tax or corporate tax, and he's comparing and contrasting. And if I feel at any point that the Prime Minister—or any other minister, for that matter—is ignoring my rulings I'm more than capable of taking action. The Prime Minister knows that the question was about company tax. He's been talking about company tax, and comparing and contrasting, and I'm listening very closely to his answer.

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

Thank you, Mr Speaker. As we've said before, the medium-term cost of the unlegislated component of the Enterprise Tax Plan, which is currently before the Senate, is $35.6 billion over the period from 2016-17 to 2027-28. If the Leader of the Opposition wants to do some figuring and analysis of what it would cost the Australian economy to repeal the tax relief already granted to small and medium businesses—family-owned businesses—he can do that himself. He's got to front up and tell Australian businesses and their employees the price they would pay in lost investment and lost jobs from a Shorten government.

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

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

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition is warned.