Clare O'Neil (Hotham, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Justice) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to previous answers concerning the government's secret deal with Senator Pauline Hanson. In its budget two weeks ago, did the government account for and make provision for this secret deal?

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

I thank the member, through the Prime Minister, for the question regarding what was accounted for in this year's budget. I'll tell you what was accounted for in this year's budget: the surplus coming in one year earlier. That's what was accounted for in this year's budget. Net debt will peak this year and fall by over $30 billion over the next four years. That's what was accounted for in this year's budget. Net debt will fall by $230 billion and more over the next 10 years. The Australian economy will grow to be a $2 trillion economy over the next four years, because it's a plan for a stronger economy. What's planned for in this budget is the delivery of tax relief for all working Australians so 94 per cent of Australians do not face a marginal tax rate of more than 32.5 cents in the dollar.

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

The Treasurer will resume his seat. The member for McMahon on a point of order.

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

Thank you, Mr Speaker. My point of order is that, unless the Treasurer is outlining how the secret deal is in the budget, he is not being directly relevant to the question.

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

The member for McMahon will resume his seat. I've said to him before that he needs to state the point of order. The Treasurer has the call.

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

Thank you, Mr Speaker. The budget also accounts for backing business to create more jobs. That's what it does. A million jobs have been created under this government. And we're backing business through our investments in infrastructure, through our investments in a 21st-century medical industry, through our investments in the training of Australians. This budget budgets for guaranteeing the essential services that Australians rely on. That's what it does. That's what you do with a stronger economy. You can guarantee the essential services that Australians rely on. This budget accounts for keeping Australians safe. That's what it does. It budgets for keeping Australians safe—

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Members on my left!

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

On this side of the House, we know how to protect the borders. That's what we know how to do. Maybe the member for McMahon wants to take a point of order on protecting our borders. He could talk about the 25,000 people who turned up in illegal boats on his watch, the most failed immigration minister in the history of Federation—

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

The Treasurer will resume his seat. Whilst the question was fairly broad on accounting for things in the budget, the Treasurer has now strayed way off the topic of the question.

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

Let me bring it back to the fifth point. The fifth point is that this is a budget that accounts for the Australian government, the Turnbull government, living within its means. That's what we do—by keeping taxes under control. The Labor Party wants to put a $220 billion burden on the Australian economy. Their tax plan should have a picture of a snake eating itself from the tail—because that's what Labor's tax plans will do to our economy. We will keep taxes under our speed limit. Expenditure as a share of the economy falls to 24.7 per cent. This is a government that knows how to live within its means. The Labor Party, every time they get into office, the Australian people know they cannot be trusted with money because they cannot live within their means. This budget accounts for a plan for a stronger economy that delivers more jobs and protects the services Australians rely on. It is a budget that is receiving strong support from the Australian people for that very reason. (Time expired)