Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Cormann. The now Independent member for Chisholm, Julia Banks, says that those who deposed Mr Turnbull acted 'undeniably for themselves, for their position in the party, their power and their personal ambition, not for the Australian people who we represent, not for what people voted for in the 2016 election, not for stability'. Why did those who made Mr Morrison the Prime Minister put their power and personal ambition before the Australian people they represent?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Firstly, again I reject and obviously disagree with that proposition. Every single person on our side of the parliament is motivated by one thing and one thing only, and that is to do the right thing by the Australian people. We are focused on providing good government, having inherited a weakening economy, rising unemployment and a rapidly deteriorating budget position from Labor. Having inherited an absolutely disastrous and deteriorating budget position, we've worked hard over the last five years to ensure that today the economy is stronger, employment growth is stronger, the unemployment rate is well below where it was anticipated it would be and indeed the budget position is stronger and improving to the point where we can now pay to help ensure patients across Australia can access affordable, high-quality medicines.

That's something that Labor had stopped being able to afford because the then Treasurer and the then finance minister made such a mess of the budget that, in the 11 weeks from Labor's last budget to the 2013 election, guess what happened to the budget bottom line? There was a $33 billion deterioration in the budget bottom line in 11 weeks—$3 billion a week! Guess what happened in 2017-18? The budget position improved by $19.3 billion compared to budget. On the basis of what? On the basis of stronger economic growth, on the basis of stronger employment growth and on the basis of more Australians paying personal income tax because they got a job. Under our strengthening economy, there were fewer Australians claiming welfare, because they got a job under our economic plan for a stronger economy and more jobs. We'll put our economic and fiscal performance up against yours any day.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Watt, a supplementary question?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The now Independent member for Chisholm, Julia Banks, says that Mr Morrison is now Prime Minister as a result of the Liberal Party's reactionary right wing leading a coup and many MPs 'trading their vote for a leadership change in exchange for their individual promotion, preselection endorsements or silence'. Does the Prime Minister agree?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, I don't agree, and I'm confident that the Prime Minister doesn't agree. The events of the last week of August are well understood. They are a matter of public record. The former Prime Minister lost the confidence of the party room. The party room elected a new leadership team of Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg, and we are working very hard as a government—the Morrison Liberal-National government—to deliver for the Australian people. We are getting on with the job of doing the right thing by the Australian people. The Labor Party continues to play politics.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Watt, a final supplementary question.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Given the biggest impact Mr Morrison has had since becoming Prime Minister is the loss of two members of parliament and his government being reduced to a minority, isn't the coalition senator reported today by the Herald Sun correct when they say:

The f***ing place is falling apart.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Let me tell you what our government is achieving for the Australian people. Let me tell you what we are achieving for the Australian people. Under Labor, fewer and fewer people were able to find a job, and more and more people were ending up unemployed. We are actually delivering more jobs and a lower unemployment rate, and guess what: wages growth is actually picking up. Wages growth is picking up. We inherited a weakening economy, rising unemployment and a rapidly deteriorating budget position from the terrible team over there, the economic and fiscal vandals over there, who reduced the opportunity for Australians to get ahead, and guess what: if Bill Shorten ever were selected to Prime Minister, this antibusiness—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a point of order, Senator Watt. Senator Cormann, please resume your—

Honourable senators interjecting—

Senator Cormann! If there aren't so many interjections—

Honourable senators interjecting—

I'll have my microphone turned up and others turned down if you're not careful. Senator Watt, on a point of order.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just on relevance, I'm wondering whether any one of those senators is correct in making those remarks that I won't repeat. He still hasn't answered that.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister is being directly relevant to the question.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much. My advice to Senator Watt is: just because Mr Shorten is getting cocky, don't take on the cockiness of the Shorten Labor Party. (Time expired)

Honourable senators interjecting—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my left! Senator Wong! Senator Macdonald!

Honourable senators interjecting—

Order! I will call the next question when there's silence.

Honourable senators interjecting—

All senators should remain silent.