Mr ROBERT (Fadden—Assistant Minister for Defence) (14:14): I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. If someone wants to speak about cheap and shameless, it is the Leader of the Opposition. You sat in cabinet when $16 billion was cut out of the Defence budget. The SPEAKER: The minister will resume his seat and the Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. The minister will refer to people by their correct titles. Mr ROBERT: Thank you, Madam Speaker. The Leader of the Opposition sat in cabinet in the last government while $16 billion was cut out of the Defence budget. Mr Dreyfus interjecting— The SPEAKER: The member for Isaacs will desist. Mr ROBERT: A budget cut to the lowest levels since 1938! Not only did the Leader of the Opposition and the previous government cut $16 billion; the last two years of their pay offer was 2.5 per cent. In 2011— Mr Conroy interjecting— The SPEAKER: The member for Charlton will desist. Mr ROBERT: when three per cent was offered, the Defence budget was substantially higher than what it is now. In 2011, when the last pay case was put forward, $16 billion had not been pulled out of the budget. So you left this government in the shameful position— Mr Burke: Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I think it would also help the assistant minister if he directed his comments through the chair. The SPEAKER: The Assistant Minister for Defence has the call. Mr ROBERT: Thank you Madam Speaker. The Leader of the Opposition and the previous government left this government with a cupboard that is completely bare. We would love to pay our soldiers more money. We would love it, but we do not have the money. We simply do not have the funds—that is the reality. If we were to pay our fighting men and women 1.5 per cent more, do you know what that equals? It equals two weeks of the interest bill that the previous government left us. That is it—just two weeks of their interest bill! We could pay an extra 1.5 per cent to our soldiers— Mr Thistlethwaite interjecting— The SPEAKER: The member for Kingsford Smith will desist! Mr ROBERT: for just 14 days worth of interest that the previous government left us. If the Leader of the Opposition is so concerned about how much we can afford to pay our soldiers, our sailors and our air men and women, a dialogue could be started between the Labor Party and this government in the Senate to clear $20 billion worth of savings. The opposition cannot sit there and claim that we should be paying more funds when those funds are not available, when they are stuck in the Senate because the opposition is not being constructive. And you talk about shameless opportunism!