Mr SWAN (2:27 PM) —My question is to the Prime Minister. Does the Prime Minister agree with the Treasurer’s statement about his 2004 election campaign spending spree when he said ‘he ordered everything on the menu—entree, main, dessert and the vegetarian option’ and that he is worried about the sustainability of the government’s spending commitments? Does the Prime Minister agree with the Treasurer’s statement and will the Prime Minister promise not to repeat this pre-election spending spree this year?

Mr HOWARD (Prime Minister) —The Treasurer made a lot of statements in 2004 and they were very effective. The one that I treasure the most out of the 2004 election campaign was when he pinged the member for Lilley for not only trying to falsely allege that our $600 family tax supplement was not real but actually promising the families of Australia that if he became Treasurer after the 2004 election they would be $600 a year per child worse off. I invite the member for Lilley to ask me another question on the Treasurer’s statement—and I can think of quite a few more that would embarrass him and do him a lot of damage.