Bert Van Manen (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. How will cutting red tape—

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! There is a wall of noise starting to mount. This is not to be tolerated. The member for Forde has the call.

Bert Van Manen (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. How will cutting red tape ease the compliance burden on small business and help create jobs? And how have the government's plans to remove red tape been received by business and community groups?

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister was unable to hear the question because of the pathetic noise coming from the opposition. I would ask that the member for Forde be allowed to ask his question again, and for the opposition learn to behave like adults.

Opposition members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the House has in fact made a perfectly valid point. There will be silence on my left, or some people might leave us. The member for Forde will repeat his question.

Bert Van Manen (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is to the Prime Minister. How will cutting red tape ease the compliance burden on small business and help create jobs? And how have the government's plans to remove red tape been received by business and community groups?

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do thank the member for Forde for his question, and I can reassure him and members opposite that every day—every day—this government is working to make the lives of Australian families easier.

One of the things that most people abhor is the time spent filling out forms, because time spent filling out forms costs money and it prevents people from getting on with their lives. That is why today is red tape 'repeal day'. That is why the government will scrap some 10,000 unnecessary and redundant regulations and acts of parliament. That is why we will take 50,000 pages off the statute books, because we want to make the lives of Australia families, the life of Australian businesses easier. These changes—

Mr Clare interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Blaxland with desist!

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

These changes will save the businesses and the people of Australia $720 million a year, every year. That is real money thanks to the real reforms of this government.

Honourable members interjecting—

Scrapping the carbon tax will not just save a $9-billion tax hit on the economy, it will not just save every household $550 a year, but scrapping the carbon tax will remove $85 million—$85 million—in red tape costs from the backs of the businesses of Australia.

This has been welcomed. This been widely welcomed. I quote Jennifer Westacott of the Business Council of Australia—

Mr Watts interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Gellibrand will desist!

Michael Danby (Melbourne Ports, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Execute him!

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Melbourne Ports will withdraw those remarks!

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

She said:

The release today of the federal government’s repeal day legislation marks a turning point in dealing with the high costs and inefficiencies faced by businesses and consumers in our economy

Honourable members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We seem to have a new tactic of having an outburst of infectious laughter—which I suspect may become disorderly—and I suspect it might begin with the member for Franklin. The member for Franklin is warned.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise on a point of order, Madam Speaker.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It had better be a proper point of order.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, are you ruling people out of order because they are laughing?

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member will resume his seat. The member for Franklin will leave the chamber under standing order 94(a).

The member for Franklin then left the chamber.

Mr Shorten interjecting—

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition referred to what he called 'the royal comedy channel'. I think that is offensive and he should be asked to withdraw.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To assist the House, the Leader of the Opposition will withdraw.

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw the comment. I did not mean to offend the Prime Minister. I completely withdraw.

Opposition members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister has the call, and you can regard yourselves as universally warned. In accordance with practice, I will not hear the Manager of Opposition Business. He has abused the standing orders twice already. The Prime Minister has completed his answer.