Mr ABBOTT (Warringah—Prime Minister) (14:38): Such a question from such a Leader of the Opposition is like the arsonist complaining about the fire. That is what it is: it is the arsonist complaining about the fire. Let me read what I actually said yesterday. Mr Pyne: Put the hose on him. Mr ABBOTT: Yes, let's hose him down. I said: Debt as a percentage of GDP which would have been 120 per cent under the policies of the former government is about 60 per cent under the policies of this Government— those that it has already implemented. I went on to say: Now, that's too high. We want to get it in a much, much better situation than that. We'd like over time to achieve this green line— that is the green line here, which shows that we fix debt and deficit for a generation but a ratio of debt to GDP at about 50 or 60 per cent is a pretty good result looking around the world, 120 per cent is a dire result and that's what we were going to have under the policies of the former government. So that is the truth. What did the Leader of the Opposition say? He said, 'We have brought the budget back to surplus.' Mr Conroy interjecting— The SPEAKER: The member for Charlton will leave under 94(a). The member for Charlton then left the chamber. Mr ABBOTT: The Dr Goebbels of economic policy. Honourable members interjecting— Mr ABBOTT: I withdraw. I withdraw. I withdraw. Honourable members interjecting— Mr ABBOTT: I withdraw, Madam Speaker. I withdraw. Honourable members interjecting— Mr ABBOTT: I withdraw, Madam Speaker. Honourable members interjecting— The SPEAKER: Everyone will sit down. Honourable members interjecting— The SPEAKER: There will be silence. Honourable members interjecting— The SPEAKER: There will be silence now, including from the member for Isaacs. Honourable members interjecting— The SPEAKER: I am on my feet. There will be silence. Mr Dreyfus interjecting— The SPEAKER: The member for Isaacs will leave under 94(a). Mr Burke: A point of order, Madam Speaker. Honourable members interjecting— The SPEAKER: I will listen to the Manager of Opposition Business but, my goodness, there will be silence! Mr Burke: Madam Speaker, given the nature of what the Prime Minister said, I ask you to reconsider ejecting the member for Isaacs on that particular comment. I think it is in the interests of the House. Mr Pyne: On the point of order, Madam Speaker, the member whom you have asked to leave the chamber used exactly the same description about Tony Abbott when Tony Abbott was the Leader of the Opposition—exactly the same description. The SPEAKER: I said the member for Isaacs will leave, and he will, under 94(a). The member for Isaacs then left the chamber. Honourable members interjecting— The SPEAKER: There will be silence. Now we will have order in this place. The Prime Minister has the call. Mr ABBOTT: Madam Speaker, I do withdraw, and I do apologise for using that phrase. But the truth is that the Leader of the Opposition was claiming to his people that the government in which he served had delivered a surplus. Far from delivering a surplus— Mr Watts interjecting— The SPEAKER: The member for Gellibrand will leave under 94(a). The member for Gellibrand then left the chamber. Mr Shorten interjecting— The SPEAKER: The Leader of the Opposition will also desist and withdraw the term 'liar'. He used a word that was unparliamentary. Mr Shorten: I withdraw. The SPEAKER: Thank you. Ms Plibersek interjecting— The SPEAKER: The member for Sydney will desist. The Prime Minister has the call. This place will settle down, and we will proceed with question time. Mr ABBOTT: Madam Speaker, I make the point that members opposite repeatedly declared not just that they would bring the budget back to surplus but that they had brought the budget back to surplus. That is what they said time and time and time again. Mr Perrett interjecting— The SPEAKER: The member for Moreton will desist. Mr ABBOTT: Just about every member of the opposition, when they were in government, claimed that not only would they deliver a surplus but they had delivered a surplus. In fact, they gave us the worst budgetary position in a generation. We are fixing it. There is a long way to go, but we have made a very strong start.