Mr ABBOTT (Warringah—Prime Minister) (14:02): Of course I made that statement. Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER: If there is any more of that clapping, those people who clap will leave. Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER: There will be silence for the question to be answered. Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER: That includes the member for Chifley. The Prime Minister has the call. Mr ABBOTT: Members opposite claimed that the deficit was going to be $30 billion at that time. That is what they claimed. Of course it came in at closer to $50 billion. Under circumstances like that— Opposition members interjecting— Government members interjecting— The SPEAKER: I know it is near the end of the year, but we have two weeks of this, so both sides of the House will stop the chit-chat across the chamber and we will hear the answer of the Prime Minister. Mr ABBOTT: Under the circumstances that we subsequently found ourselves in, it was important to make sensible savings, and that is exactly what we are doing. Why is it fair— Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER: The member for Batman will leave under 94a. Mr ABBOTT: Why is it fair to exclude the ABC from the kinds of efficiency savings— Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER: The member for Parramatta will join him, under 94a. Mr ABBOTT: that every other government entity is subject to? The Leader of the Opposition asks about who said what. Who was asked yesterday: 'You cannot criticise though if you are not in a position to say that you would reverse the cuts if you were in the same position?' Who was asked that? After a whole lot of obfuscation— Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER: The member for Griffith. Mr ABBOTT: someone was asked would you reverse the cuts if you took office? Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER: The member for Sydney will desist. Mr ABBOTT: Who was that? Did someone say 'Backstabber Bill'? No-one could have said that, because that would have been out of order. But what does he say? He says: 'We don't think the cuts need to be as deep as they are.' That is what he said. What a hypocrite! What a fraud! Mr Burke: Madam Speaker— The SPEAKER: Has the Prime Minister concluded his answer? Mr Burke: Madam Speaker— The SPEAKER: The Prime Minister has concluded his answer. Mr Burke: Madam Speaker— The SPEAKER: The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order? It had better be a proper one. Mr Burke: It is. In the management of the House, the technicians do not turn off a member's microphone until you give another member the call. You have consistently refused to give the call on any point of order until you think the Prime Minister might have finished, and then you give the call. It makes the concept of raising a point of order irrelevant. The SPEAKER: The member will resume his seat. There is no point of order.