back to vietnam. they think life operations. the history of the b-52, cold war. there is a different kind of power associated with the b-52 as opposed to other long-range bombers. >> union and confederate who knew each other prior to the civil war who fought against each other in1862. here they are at age 100 sitting on the porch talking about the old days. >> we have one, the gate to the east marked 901. the gate to the east is marked 903. the reference the moment of the bomb which was at 9:02. >> watch the local content of vehicles every month on "book tv" and american history tv. look at our next stop and jefferson city, missouri the weekend of to lie seven and a on c-span to and c-span-3. >> now highlights from question

time in the australian parliament were prime minister abbas julia giljulia gillard anr questions. later, one member response to accusations of corruption. this 30 minute program is courtesy of australia's public affairs channel. >> hello. over the next half-hour will show you some highlights of villegas is sitting of the australian parliament. -- some highlights of the latest sitting of the australian parliament. the government is still forecasting a return to surplus in the coming financial year. the budget also saw a shift in

priorities. it is introducing a new tax on mining profits but instead of using that money to cut company taxes, it faced opposition in parliament. now it will use that money to hand out more payments to families and more payments to parents of schoolchildren. here is some of the budget delivery. >> the four years of surplus i announced tonight -- >> [clamoring] >> the resilience of our people and the success of our policies. in this on certain and fast changing world, we worked hard. we will live within our means. mr. speaker, this budget delivers a surplus this coming year on time as promised in surpluses each year after that strengthening over time.

cost of living relief for australian family helps businesses and best, compete and adapt to an economy in transition and it finances bold new policies to help australians with a disability, age, and those who cannot afford a dental care. it does these things for a core purpose -- to share the benefits of the mining boom with more australians. madam deputy speaker, could the tremendous opportunities of the mining boom should be shared fairly with all australians. people that work hard should it fairly rewarded. there is an optimism that comes with economic and social mobility. in a global economy marked by anxiety and uncertainty, our nation is the face of

resilience and success. not just for the -- rates outpacing the advancing economies over the coming years but for the resilience of our people and the value we attach to them. now amidst great change, new challenges lie ahead. this is what this budget supports workers and parents and helps businesses prosper. it is why we are boosting skills, at age care and dental care and building an insurance scheme for the most vulnerable. these policies have one purpose -- to create more wealth and to turn our remarkable economic success into a stronger, fairer community as well. i commend the bill to the house. >> hear, hear. [applause] >> the government was certainly hoping that there would be more focus on the budget and the

relative strength of the australian economy, but a scandal surrounding one of its was a dominating. this is a hung parliament in australia period government is relying on the support of a andber of independent mp's the controversial mp that has been suspended. his name is craig thompson. before he entered parliament he was a union official. he is accused of misusing his credit card at the health services union on things like fancy dinners, flights and prostitutes. there have been a number of investigations. he has yet to be charged with anything. but the opposition has been pursuing him try to force them out of parliament. during the month, the opposition tried to force credit thompson to deliver a full statement to parliament. >> my question is to the

treasure, can the treasury explain why there was no mention in the budget speech last night of the government seeking to increase the nation's credit card limit from $250 billion to a record $300 billion? >> order, order. order. people are not assisting the treasurer to be heard. >> madam deputy speaker, this is a question i take seriously because the government takes its $250 billion debt cap very seriously. mr. speaker -- >> [inaudible] >> i will not tolerate excessive noise while question time is under way. the treasurer has the court. >> thank you, madam deputy

speaker. the budget papers shows that securities on issue are under the existing limit at the end of each year. that is a fact. i know it is an uncomfortable fact and i know it will stand in the way of a mass of scare campaign that those opposite want to run and i know that they will go to any length to talk down to our economy and run as tough in terms of the national reputation but those are the facts. we have had a request from the office of financial management that we put a buffer in because we do have a challenge when it comes -- >> [clamoring] >> order. i will if pushed issue a general warning and there'll be very few people left in the chamber. >> we have been advised by the office of financial management that we should have a buffer. notwithstanding the fact that at the end of each year we are within that cap.

i knew they do not understand a lot about financial matters so i will run through a couple of the facts. first and foremost, in terms of revenues they tend to come in in lumps towards the end of the year. but what happens is expenditure is evenly spread across the year. the financing sheldochallenge is made worse by as bonds mature, we issue new ones. the point thaey made is this -- to manage these fluctuations, it is critical that the operations of the aofm are not affected by short-term barring constraints such as a debt cap. we reported in full in the budget papers what we are intending to do and why we are intending to do it. it is very sensible for

australia. i think those opposite should just pause for a minute and not play politics with this issue. >> the member for north sydney on a supplementary. >> treasurer, what is the dollar figure could gross debt will peak it and in what your wallet peak?will it >> [clamoring] >> the member of north sydney wants to see question time, he can stop pushing it. the leader of the house has the call. >> the supplementary question must arise directly from the original -- >> my understanding would be that the supplementary is in order and i will call the

treasurer. >> i'm very happy to answer the question. delighted. the fact is thatne ndeet debt, and i will go to the percentages and the values -- >> the member from north sydney is warned. >> the tables are there in the budget papers. the opposite is pretending they have not seen it before. so we will go through net debt which takes a percentage of gdp at 9.6% until 2015 at 7.3%. 112.in 11 80% of gdp, 265.8 in 211-12. that is the figure the member is

looking for and comes out over the next decade, mr. speaker. >> my question is to the prime minister. he said i never wanted to see a dollar that a worker gets a union dues for any purpose other than the proper purposes representing union members best interest compare. -- no member of her team had received a personal benefit from a trade union or a trade union official. >> the prime minister has the call. >> thank you very much, madam deputy speaker, and to the manager of opposition, how remarkable they cannot sustain a debate on the budget for even one question time. so little interest in our economy, in jobs, and the cost

of living on working australia's occurred so little interest on care, about working australians and the prospects and their future. and not have the intellectual ability our economic capacity -- >> the prime minister will answer the question. >> let me say this to him. i have been completely frank about all matter is that involving the members. the manager of opposition business is run, the deputy leader is another pair the leader of the opposition is the third on the espy matter. -- the ashby matter. >> the manager of business will resume his seat. i will ask the prime minister to be relevant to the question. >> thank you very much, madam deputy speaker. i want question to be asked and answered. i hope they are. on the manager of opposition

question, what i said on radio is my view on radio. overwhelmingly the trade union movement is professional and hard-working. as representing working australians to the extent that any dollar we have ever used in a way -- >> the prime minister will resume her seat. the member disturbed on a point of order. >> it was a very specific question about what steps the prime minister had taken to assure herself that no member of our team had ever taken a professional benefit from a trade union or trade? >> the prime minister will be relevant to the question. >> thank you very much, madam deputy speaker. every dollar collected by trade unions should be used for the benefit of members. that is my view. that is the labor view. i understand that the manager of opposition business is going to try and chuck around unsound allegations and smear come

because he does not know anything about education or the working people are supporting them. if he has an allegation, he should put it. he should pretend that he has one concern about schools in this country. i have never seen him deliver any interest in what he is supposed to be doing in this parliament -- >> the prime minister will return to -- >> of course, madam doug peters speaker, that lack of care for working australians -- madam deputy speaker, the lack of care for iraq in australia's characterize as this opposition. >> the reason why standing orders must be debated is because the parliament has a right to know. why we should not have to suspend a member for douvelle yesterday. he needs to be given the opportunity to speak for 10 minutes to put his side of the story so that we know as members

of parliament that we should not have suspended him yesterday, a motion that was debated by the labor party. it will give the member, if this motion is carried, the opportunity to explain that fabled line that must be crossed, a line that the prime minister could not explain. should they -- the prime minister. she said, i can tell you very clearly know what the election will be about. it will be about who you stand for, what you stand for the privileged few or whether you stand for work in australia and and their families. the member for deauville, is he one of the privileged few? or is he one of the 77,000 average members of the acsu took it paid something like $500

a week. while this member breaks and $500,000. >> the member -- there is no -- he has strayed greatly from the suspension. >> the reason standing order should be suspended because the allegations that have been made against a member are so serious that this motion, the founder is that have been made by fair work australia, are so serious that they must be tested in this parliament. and he should be required to make a 10 minute explanation to this parliament because these of the most serious allegations a member can face. they are allegations of corruption, allegations of the misuse of members might. they have of finding a fair work are strong. they need to explain how it is that when he was the national secretary of acsu, when he was

negotiating for his members to received an allowance of $11.40 a day, he was using the credit cards to pay $550 for meals at 41 and thousands of dollars of their members while they are on their allowance with 11.40. he's spending their money on overseas travel, on the escort agencies, and fine dining and personal items. we as a member of parliament have a right to know his side of the story which so besmirches this reputation of this parliament. while he can find $676,000 on his own election, he was facilitating an agreement so that is a worker can drain bed bans at $500 a week. acsuembers of the

would like to be a -- no. he was lucky enough to be the national secretary and a favorite son. consider this, madam deputy speaker, this is the reason suspensions of standing order should be carried so he can explain himself to the house. it would have taken on member 12 weeks of pleading of hospital to pay for the escort services the eaxville is d alleged to have paid for in one night. madam deputy speaker, voting in favor of this motion would be a demonstration of support for the 77,000 members of the health services unit. voting against it is a vote for continuing the protection racket that exist around the member for

deauxville and has protected him from three years of questioning. does the prime minister truly believe the next election will be about who stance for the privileged few and who stands for working australians? she would want to stand up for working austrians today and direct her caucus to support this motion. why wouldn't the cross bench and the labor party oppose -- vote for a motion that calls on the member to have 10 minutes to explain his side of the story and one of the most tawdry episode to ever besmirch the parliament. to vote against this motion, to vote this motion down, is eventually a continuation of that protection erection of a member for deauxville. he is no longer a member of their caucus. why would the labor party stand up today and argued against?

why would the leader of the house stand up and argue against a motion to ask an independent member to explain himself to the parliament? the truth is he is not an independent member at all. he is a member of the labor caucus today. a labor party continues to except his vote. they know he is as much of labor man today as you wahe was 10 das ago. nothing has changed except the prime minister found out about the report. she did everything she could to try to dispatched this -- which has so damaged her government. i cannot imagine anyone in the house wanting to turn their backs on the 77,000 members of the acsu, by voting against this motion. i cannot imagine some of the members of the labor party caucus with conscience wanted to see their vote recorded as part

of the continuing protection racket that protect the member for deauxville. the member is good man. he knows in his conscience is a wrong to continue to protect a member for deauxville. he knows the members deserve better than that. i call on him and other members of the caucus to stand for the opposition and require an explanation. >> the member for deauxville has the floor. you had 3 seconds. >> i would like to indicate to parliament that i would be seeking to make a statement probably in excess of 10 minutes. >> member for deauxville, i have been as much indulgent as i can. if everybody wants to know it will take the will of the house carr. but i will allow the indulgence for the member for deauxville.

>> on the next sitting week is when i intend to make a statement. there has been a comprehensive and long work report of 1100 pages which we did not have access to until late monday night. it is appropriate that i have time to go through that so i can make a comprehensive statement to parliament which is what i intend to do. this week is an important week in terms of it being budget we. it is a week where families around australia are looking at what this government can do. that is what it needs to be spent for. but i do indicate to parliament that i do intend to make a statement in the next sitting week of parliament. >> craig thompson did finally agree to deliver a long-awaited statement to parliament. he did finally rise to his -- he spoke for about an hour. was and emotional at times as he denied all of the claims made against him of using his credit

cards for prostitutes and using union funds to bankroll his way into parliament cared >. >> go cut your wrists. hang yourself. go out the back, cut your throat. that is the only way. have youdivided byyour wrists get? you are dead. a bullet between your eyes will save taxpayers money -- have you slashed your wrists yet? you have unleashed a lynch mob. to that you all ultimately are responsible. these are the types of e-mails, letters and phone calls that my family, myself and my staff received. since these allegations were first raised, i have consistently and on many occasions made it clear that i have done nothing wrong. i have wanted to make a

statement for some time. but sought advice from a variety of people, including legal advice, and took that advice not to make a statement. could i say that is something i probably regret in hindsight? i did not realize this could go four years. but once that decision had been taken, of course, then the next opportunity to speak really is when our record is concluded. and their work has done that. -- fair work has done that. in making this statement, i am very conscious that in the eyes of many of the public i have been charged, convicted, and sentence. the public will hold these views because of the extraordinary media coverage which has taken place. i, like every member of this house, valued the importance of an independent and robust news media. it is important in our

democracy. however, all of us who have regular dealings with the news media, we know the news media can often get it wrong. and sometimes seriously so. particularly as today the media has dominated -- has been dominated by self supporting commentators, not reporters. i will say more about that later. of the seven occasions that are set out, three of them could not be me. there are alibis on two occasions being with other people. on one occasion being in perth and not being in sydney for the month around the alleged incident. i know sitting up there we have a range of csi journalists who think that they are the inspector close ouseaus of the

world and make assumptions rather than report issues that are there. i will try and help you with a couple of key areas and that if you have had difficulties with. the account details of my credit card were reported. everyone knew what my credit card account numbers work. my driver's license. can i say there's been a deliberate and massive attempt to paint me in a different light by fair facts, by printing in the paper copy of my driver's license and making its appear as if that -- a copy of that driver's license was there at these occasions. that is not what the evidence is. the evidence is my driver's license number was written on

three of those particular sheets. let's take a common-sense thing which we all know occurred. if you are asked for an i.d., you hold it up. the person looks at your face and a look at the driver's license and they say that is you. they do not then go and say they need to write down details of this. that just does not happen. it does not happen. can i suggest that of all places for it not to happen would be when you are seeking those sorts of services were presumably a degree of anonymity is what is been sought. -- being sought. i was reminded of some one of to kill a mockingbird. there is one way in which all men are created equal. there is one human institution that makes a pauper the equal of a rockefeller. the stupid man, the equal of an

artist -- an einstein. that institution is a court. in this country, our courts are the great levelers. in our courts, all men are created equal. you have trashed that. what you have done is not just to damaged one individual or their family. you have damaged democracy. and you continue to damage democracy cured you should hang your head in shame for that. what it shows is the leader of the opposition, that man, he's unfit to be an mp. >> the opposition was not satisfied with that defense. this is the government should not be relying on thomson's a vote in the parliament at all. the opposition leader said the opposition would not rely on his vote. so when craig thompson surprise

ever won by sitting with a coalition, well, there were some startling scenes. the opposition leader realizing that thompson was sitting on his side of the parliament quickly got up and tried to run for the door. he didn't make it, but c christopher pine did. >> on july 1, liberal mp's who have joined in this negative campaign, will be left to wonder if their relentless negativity has left them at the point of no return. this systematic misleading of the australian community on the cement industry, on jobs, on the cost of living, and electricity prices. we know from this morning that the leader of the opposition that come the ffirst