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 Prime Minister has spent two years voting against a banking royal commission 26 times; has spent three years trying to give the big banks a $17 billion tax handout; and, last night, voted against tougher 15-year jail sentences for corporate criminals whilst, at the same time, cutting billions from schools and hospitals. Why does the Prime Minister put big banks ahead of schools and hospitals?

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

Why does the leader of the Labor Party lie all the time? Why does he do that?

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

The Prime Minister needs to withdraw that. The Manager of Opposition Business can resume his seat unless he's got something additional after I've dealt with this. The Prime Minister needs to withdraw that word.

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

I withdraw, Mr Speaker. I could say, why does the leader of the Labor Party misrepresent the truth? Why do they do this all the time? At a time when our government is increasing investment in hospitals, schools, affordable medicines and all the essential services that we rely on, because of a stronger economy and a stronger budget—a budget that will be back in balance, in surplus, when we hand down the budget in April next year. This is delivering the essential services without increasing taxes, which is the Labor Party's plan: $200 billion and more in higher taxes that will suffocate the Australian economy, which will mean fewer jobs for Australians; fewer hours for Australians; lower wages for Australians; and more services under risk, including affordable medicines. We know that, when they were in government, because they couldn't manage the budget and couldn't grow the economy, they couldn't list lifesaving medicines on the PBS.

Our government has been dealing with the issues in the banking and financial sector for years. The toughest banking executive accountability laws this country has ever seen. A financial complaints authority that enables people to get actions and outcomes from their disputes without having to lawyer up. We initiated the royal commission into the banking and finance industry. Those opposite, they talk and they talk—it's talk, talk, talk and no action ever from the Leader of the Labor Party. It's the literary awards next week here in this chamber, and the Labor Party's policies will be making an entry in the fiction category, because, when it comes to the Labor Party, whenever they're talking you know it's fiction.