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Thursday, 12 May 2011
Page: 3783

Mr HOCKEY (North Sydney) (09:01): I move:

That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for North Sydney from moving the following motion forthwith: That this House calls on the Treasurer to immediately attend the House to answer the following questions before the Parliament:

(1) why the government is seeking to lift Australia’s borrowing limit from $200 billion to $250 billion and what is the justification; and

(2) why the government wants to remove the ‘special circumstances’ restriction for borrowing.

This is a matter of urgency because the Treasurer was just on the AM program stating emphatically that the opposition was not going to be picking up on this matter. But, unlike the Treasurer, we are focused on getting the facts right. Unlike the Treasurer, we are focused—

Mr Albanese: Mr Speaker, on a point of order: the opposition have had every opportunity to debate the budget. They have an opportunity tonight to put forward their alternative.

The SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order.