Senator BIRMINGHAM (South Australia—Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment) (15:09): If those opposite want to have a debate about promises and commitments and commitments delivered, well, bring it on. I welcome it. I welcome it warmly because our government went to the election with some very key promises and commitments. This was very obvious to all. We said we would axe the carbon tax, and we have axed the carbon tax. We said we would stop the flow of illegal arrivals and stop the boats, and we are stopping the boats. We said we would build the roads of the 21st century, and we are building those roads. We are starting construction and we are delivering across cities around Australia. We said we would fix Labor's debt and deficit disaster, and that is exactly what our budget seeks to do: to take responsibility for the failures of those opposite, to take responsibility for the mess they left us and this country in, to get on with the job of fixing what needs to be fixed and to make the difficult decisions to do so. We hear a lot of bluff and bluster from those opposite, and none more so perhaps than from Senator Carr. They go on and claim and talk about the cuts that are allegedly made in this budget. We have taken difficult decisions in this budget— Opposition senators interjecting— Senator BIRMINGHAM: but not those that are represented or claimed by those opposite like Senator Carr or those who carp like seagulls from the back row. The truth is that Commonwealth funding for public hospitals, contrary to what Senator Carr says, goes up nine per cent this year, nine per cent next year, nine per cent the year after that and six per cent in the final year of the forward estimates. Commonwealth funding for school education— Senator Lines: Cut! Senator BIRMINGHAM: goes up eight per cent this year, eight per cent next year, eight per cent the year after that and six per cent in the final year. The seagull cannot do maths! In my home state, as is the case, of course, across the rest of the country, total Commonwealth funding for public hospitals and schools goes up 30 per cent over the four years of the forward estimates—up and up and up. Far from Labor's claims, Labor's lies of cuts, funding is going up for hospitals. Funding is going up for schools. As Senator Bushby rightly points out, not just in nominal terms but in real terms—real funding growth for hospitals and real funding growth for schools. That is because our government knows they are priority areas for expenditure. So we have made sure that we can continue to fund those increases whilst taking difficult decisions elsewhere across the budget to bring us back towards surplus. Now 'surplus'—there is a word that I challenge any of those opposite to mention in this debate. I challenge those opposite to use the word 'surplus'. It seems as if the Labor Party has abandoned all sense of fiscal or economic responsibility. They have given up completely on the idea that we should drive the budget back to balance, back to surplus. The problem with it is that they are leaving a legacy of disaster for future generations. Their failure to accept responsibility for the debt they created under their watch, through their policies, creates a disaster which future generations will bear the burden of. We on this side are not willing to stand by and do nothing, like those opposite. We are getting on with implementing our budget. We have delivered a range of savings measures already, and we wish we could get all of them through this place. We are amazed at the fact that the Labor Party are blocking even $5 billion worth of savings measures that they themselves proposed when they were in government. Senator Lines interjecting— Senator BIRMINGHAM: The seagull signed onto those savings measure when she was in government, yet now of course is voting with the Labor Party to oppose them. It is a remarkable turn of events. Senator O'Neill: Mr Deputy President, I rise on a point of order. I think the senator behind me deserves her correct title to be used in this instance. Senator Abetz: How did she know who was being referred to? The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Abetz, please! Opposition senators interjecting— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: If the chamber could come to order! There have been a lot of interjections from both sides. Senator Birmingham, you have the call. Senator BIRMINGHAM: Thank you, Mr Deputy President. Indeed, if those opposite wish to identify themselves in relation to the interjections made and the remarks that I have made in response, well, good luck to them. But this is a serious matter. Australians are paying at present $1 billion a month in interest on Labor's debt. That situation will only get worse and will cost future generations more. The time to act is now, and the Labor Party should accept responsibility for the mess that they made and start to help to clean it up. (Time expired)