Mr STEPHEN JONES (Throsby) (13:39): There is no cheer in the Prime Minister's Christmas cracker for Australians this year: business confidence, down; unemployment, up; youth unemployment at record highs and full-time unemployment levels in the doldrums. The only index that is looking positive is the index of lies, which is why today we launched this catalogue of infamy: Abbott's book of lies and broken promises.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The member knows that props are not allowed.

Mr STEPHEN JONES: It lists the broken promises in health: over $57 billion worth of cuts flying in the face the promise that there would be no cuts to health. It lists the promises that have been broken to pensioners: over $80 a week. And it really beggars belief that today, of all days, the government chooses to introduce the bill which will break that promise to pensioners that there will be no cuts to their pensions. With over $30 billion worth of cuts to schools, over $5 billion of cuts to universities, cuts to the ABC and jacking up fuel prices for people planning their Christmas holidays, it is incumbent upon the Prime Minister and the ministers to put some cheer back into Christmas, come into question time today and say they are sorry, and reverse the horrible broken promises to ensure that Australians can go into Christmas with a bit of optimism, knowing they have a government that is worthy of this great country.