Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Abetz. Does the Prime Minister stand by his promise made on the eve of last year's election of no cuts to education, no cuts to health, no change to pensions, no change to the GST and no cuts to the ABC or SBS?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Anybody that would have looked at the budget papers would have seen that there is actually an increase in funding in this budget for health and education.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! On my left.

Senator Cameron interjecting—

Order! Senator Cameron.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And what I say to those opposite is that when one is confronted with one thousand million dollars' worth of borrowings each and every month simply to fund the interest payments on the borrowings from when Senator Wong was the Minister for Finance, the architect of this debt and deficit trajectory—

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just say 'yes we broke our promises'.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Wong.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

She who was the architect has the audacity to come into this place and then assert that somehow we should not be fixing the problems. Indeed, the Labor Party itself went to the last election saying that the budget had to be brought back into shape. The regrettable thing is that the Labor Party, having said they identify the need, are unwilling to do anything in relation to fixing it.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is it true that George has booked you for a weekly appearance on The Project?

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Conroy, your colleague is on her feet waiting for the call.

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order of direct relevance. The question was specifically about election promises. I would ask you to draw the attention of the minister to the question.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister was being directly relevant. Minister, you have the call.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What Mr Abbott and the coalition promised the Australian people was that we would stop the boats, that we would get rid of the carbon tax. And what we also said was that we would fix the budget mess left to us by the Australian Labor Party. Having had no shame in creating the mess, you would have thought they may at least have had the decency to assist in cleaning up the mess. Clearly, there is no shame with the Labor Party in this area.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Do you stand by the promise or not?

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Wong.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And we are very pleased to confirm that our election commitments are being honoured. (Time expired)

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong, before I call you for the supplementary question, the noise on the left is terrible. It is only the first question. Senator Wong, you did ask the question and you interjected consistently so could I ask that interjections cease.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Are you protecting Eric?

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Conroy.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I note the minister's refusal to stand by the Prime Minister's promise. I ask him: does the Prime Minister stand by this previous statement from the Prime Minister, 'It is an absolute principle of democracy that governments should not and must not say one thing before an election and do the opposite afterwards.'?

Government Senators:

Government senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! On my right.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, you have got to love the audacity of the former Minister for Climate Change, who went to an election with Mr Rudd whom she then knifed and knifed again and then knifed Julia Gillard—I forget all the variances in this. But I distinctly remember a very strong promise: there will be no carbon tax. Indeed, Senator Wong was on the public record telling us why a carbon tax was so bad and then all of a sudden she came in here championing the cause of a carbon tax and voting for it. And then what is worse—

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order: relevance to this particular question. It was about a statement made by the Prime Minister. Senator Abetz was asked to say whether the Prime Minister stands by that statement.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister has been addressing the question. I call the minister.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And then when the Labor Party finally had the opportunity of standing by its election promise of not introducing or getting rid of the carbon tax, what did they do? For nine months they held out to stop the repeal of the carbon tax. Of course we stand by our election promises.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise to ask a further supplementary question. Does the minister stand by the election pledge of 'no cuts to education' and 'no cuts to health'? I also ask: does the Prime Minister stand by his pledge made on 1 September last year, 'There will be no surprises and no excuses from a coalition government.' Given that this budget is full of surprises and the Treasurer has provided nothing but excuses, has the Prime Minister ensured the Treasurer is aware of this pledge?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is no surprise to the Australian people that we pledged and committed ourselves and have virtually achieved the stopping of the boats. It will come as no surprise to the Australian people that we pledged and have now delivered—thank you to the new crossbenches—the repeal of the carbon tax, a tax which was destroying family and household budgets, a tax which was destroying jobs whilst doing absolutely nothing for the economy. Similarly, we promised to bring the budget back into shape. We said we would do that and this budget delivers on that fundamental promise. The greatest most unfair thing that this parliament can do is to levy a debt on future generations because we are unwilling to make the tough decisions today. (Time expired)