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

My question is to the Prime Minister, affectionately known as the 'bowser bandit'. Has the Prime Minister done a dirty deal with the Greens?

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

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. As 'electricity' Bill knows that kind of thing is out of order and you should ask him to withdraw it. And I will withdraw in advance!

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

Madam Speaker—

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

Both members will resume their seats. I think we will refrain from using either epithet.

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

My question is to the Prime Minister. Has—

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

Madam Speaker, as 'backstabbing' Bill well knows those kinds of epithets are not allowed—

Opposition members interjecting—

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

There will be silence on my left!

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

I asked him to withdraw, and I withdrew in advance. And I am happy to withdraw in advance again! And we can keep playing this game until the Leader of the Opposition withdraws.

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

The Leader of the Opposition may assist the House—

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

Yes. I withdraw the reference that was used in the Herald-Sun today about the Prime Minister. My question is to the Prime Minister. Has the Prime Minister done a dirty deal with the Greens to increase petrol tax?

An incident having occurred in the chamber—

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

That is almost worthy of just choosing six and saying, 'Leave immediately.' That is a deliberate and flagrant abuse of the ruling I have made about props being used in this chamber and I would ask the attendants to go around and collect them.

Honourable members interjecting—

The member for Wakefield will leave under 94(a) and so will the member for Griffith! Immediately!

The member for Wakefield and the member for Griffith then left the chamber.

Honourable members interjecting—

And I can see the members for Adelaide, Port Adelaide and Blaxland. They will leave!

The member for Adelaide, the member for Port Adelaide and the member for Blaxland then left the chamber.

I call the honourable member for Herbert.

Ewen Jones (Herbert, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister please update the House on progress—

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Madam Speaker—

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

The member for Herbert will resume his seat. The Leader of the Opposition was lost in the hubbub.

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

Madam Speaker, I ask again—

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

No, you do not need to. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

You said he was lost in the hubbub—

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

I said you were. Resume your seat. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

The measure that the government announced yesterday is a budget measure. We did our best to get it passed in one way and, given the unwillingness of members opposite to participate in the process of budget repair, we thought we would do it a different way. We are determined to get our budget measures passed; one way or another we are determined to get our budget measures passed.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. It just goes to relevance: has the Prime Minister done a deal with the Greens on petrol tax? Yes or no?

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, you'd know about deals with the Greens party!

Honourable members interjecting—

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

The Treasurer will desist! This is only Wednesday. The Treasurer will desist, the Leader of the Opposition will cease responding and the Prime Minister has the call.

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

The answer to the Leader of the Opposition's question is: of course not. But what I say to the Leader of the Opposition is that this is a government which is determined to address the debt-and-deficit disaster which we inherited from members opposite. We are determined to address the debt-and-deficit disaster that we inherited from members opposite.

We have not brought in a new tax. We have simply resumed indexation of an old tax. We have simply done what Bob Hawke did. And I say again to the Leader of the Opposition: Bob Hawke was a real Labor leader. Bob Hawke was someone who was prepared to put the national interest ahead of short-term politicking. And I say to the Leader of the Opposition: just for once, he should think about the country and not about politicking. And he ought to be prepared to engage with the government on the vital national task of solving the debt-and-deficit disaster which this government has inherited.