Mr ABBOTT (Warringah—Prime Minister) (14:45): We are doing the right thing by the pensioners of Australia because we have scrapped the carbon tax and kept the carbon tax compensation. The only one who wants to slug the pensioners of Australia is the Leader of the Opposition and those members sitting behind him, because they want to bring the carbon tax back. That is what they want to do. They want to bring back the carbon tax to slug the pensioners of Australia. By contrast, we have scrapped the carbon tax and we have kept the carbon tax compensation, which means that every pensioner is significantly better off. I just want to remind the Leader of the Opposition that what this government is trying to do is to build a strong and prosperous economy for a safe and secure Australia, and if we want a strong economy we have to have a budget surplus. Ms Macklin: More slogans! Mr ABBOTT: I hear the member for Jagajaga saying 'more slogans'. Well, a budget surplus for a strong economy—that is the Leader of the Opposition's own statement. Then, if we turn over the page, 'Australia's economic report card'. Ms PLIBERSEK: Where's your budget? Mr ABBOTT: I am citing the Leader of the Opposition in 'Australia's economic report card': 'In these uncertain global times there is no clearer sign of a strong economy than a surplus.' It was true then, it is true now, it will be true tomorrow, it will be true the day after, it will be true next year and it will be true the year after that. These are economic truths. These are economic principles. These are the principles of good government, which members opposite sort of understood, but they never had the courage and the principal actually to deliver on them. We understand them and we are delivering on them. I do not say that it is easy, but it is necessary. We do need, as the Leader of the Opposition understands, to get back into surplus if we are to have a strong economy. He knew it; we are doing it.