Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Moore for the question. It is the case that governments at all levels have had to adjust to lower tax receipts in recent years. This government has responded by putting in place responsible savings measures and by prioritising the targeting of resources to where they are most needed. We have delivered more than $130 billion in savings over five budgets and we have done so by focusing both on responsibility and fairness. We have achieved $13 billion in public sector savings that focused on efficiency rather than job cuts.

I understand we have asked this parliament and the members of it to agree to some responsible savings measures. For example, we found over $2 billion in savings from more efficient and effective management of ICT; we have cut recruitment advertising by around $30 million a year since 2009-10; and we are spending $100 million a year less for four years in a row than the Howard government spent on campaign advertising in the year 2007. We are saving around $240 million from travel spending.

We also found savings through measures like means-testing the private health insurance rebate—opposed by those opposite. We found savings by reducing super concessions for individuals on high incomes—also opposed by those opposite—and by removing the ability for millionaires to access Commonwealth dental funding—also opposed by those opposite. If you want to see the priorities of those opposite you need to look no further than the state of Queensland, Senator Moore's own state, where we see savage cuts to nurses, doctors, firefighters, roads, transport, palliative care and even Vinnie's, with 14,000 jobs to go under a Liberal Premier who said that the Public Service had nothing to fear. (Time expired)