Dr NELSON (2:38 PM) —My question is to the Treasurer. I refer the Treasurer to his budget statement last night, in particular that rural Australia has been going through the worst drought in 100 years. I further refer the Treasurer to his radio interview this morning in Melbourne on 3LO. When asked about interest rate assistance for drought-stricken farmers the Treasurer replied: ‘I can’t give you the exact answer. I’ll go and look it up.’ Treasurer, if you do not have confidence in your own ability to understand something as important to this country as farmers and drought, how can Australian families have confidence in you to manage their home loans, let alone a $1 trillion economy?

Mr SWAN (Treasurer) —I do welcome that question because it is a partial reading of the transcript, which is what you always get from the Leader of the Opposition. What I said was that the exceptional circumstances were continuing—that is what I said. Interest rate relief is part of exceptional circumstances. And I said I would get further detail—a perfectly reasonable and responsible thing to do.

Dr Nelson —Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. To assist the Treasurer, I would be happy to assist by reading the full transcript.

The SPEAKER —There is no point of order. The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat.

Mr SWAN —If the Leader of the Opposition wants to talk about transcripts, let’s have a look at the transcript that he issued last night at 9.30 pm—a transcript which was actually doctored from earlier in the day.

Mr Hockey —Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The Treasurer was asked a question about his own words on radio this morning where he did not know the answer to a question about his own budget.

The SPEAKER —There is no need to debate the point of order. I will listen carefully to the Treasurer’s response.

Mr SWAN —At 9 pm last night the Leader of the Opposition issued a statement—

Ms Julie Bishop interjecting—

The SPEAKER —Order! The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will resume her seat. She can seek the call if she has a different point of order to the member for North Sydney; otherwise, I am listening carefully to where the Treasurer is going with his response.

Mr SWAN —The Leader of the Opposition, in the doorstop transcript issued at 9 pm last night, said this: ‘Our economic analysis is that one quarter of one per cent will be’—

Ms Julie Bishop —Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The question was about the Treasurer’s transcript this morning and the fact that he did not know his own budget. He is continuing to defy your ruling and refer to other transcripts at other times which are not his.

The SPEAKER —The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will resume her seat. The question then went on, after mentioning the radio—

Mr Downer —So he’s in order.

The SPEAKER —The member for Mayo can go and have his cup of tea for an hour under 94(a). Off you go. The question went on to query the Treasurer’s ability to run the trillion-dollar budget, and I guess that the Treasurer is now going to make some comments about varying abilities to run a trillion-dollar economy.

The member for Mayo then left the chamber.

Mr SWAN —At 9 pm last night the Leader of the Opposition issued a transcript which said: ‘Our economic analysis is that one quarter of one per cent will be added to the consumer price index.’ Then at 9.30 pm he issued a revised transcript which said: ‘Our economic analysis is that 0.4 per cent will be added to the consumer price index’—a doctored transcript from the Leader of the Opposition.