Ben Morton (Tangney, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister and Cabinet) Share this | Hansard source

I hear members opposite ask about the gender pay gap.

A government member: They once cared about that.

They did. It reached a new record low of 13.9 per cent. Thank you to those members asking that question about the record low, because we're going to do more. We are on track and we are meeting record lows. Cost-of-living pressure is something that we're concerned about on this side of the House, unlike those opposite, and that also eased in 2019. Over the year to 19 December electricity prices fell 3.5 per cent, the largest annual fall in 4½ years.

We have the budget and the economy in a position of strength, and that is very important. Our plan for a stronger economy is about building resilience in the economy. It's about rewarding aspiration. It's about lowering taxes so you can keep more of what you earn. It's about reducing the cost of doing business, whether it be energy, deregulation, finance or getting paid on time. It's about equipping Australians with the skills that they need that Australian businesses also need. It's about expanding trade to access more markets and create more jobs. It's about building the infrastructure we need for our economy to grow. It's about keeping our budget strong to guarantee the essential services that Australians rely on but also to make sure that we're prepared to deal with the challenges they face—those real challenges that are now of concern to Australians.

Australians have faced bushfire crisis, while others are continuing to battle the drought, and we recognise and are very thankful for the rain that we're seeing in some of those drought affected areas. Australians are facing the threat of coronavirus and, because of the strong economic and fiscal management of this government, we are better prepared than those opposite will ever give us credit for. The irresponsibility of those opposite to talk down the economy, to put fear into the minds of Australian families and workers is shameful on them.

The Prime Minister has outlined our commitment to doing whatever it takes to help families, businesses, towns and communities respond to the coronavirus. The Prime Minister said on Tuesday:

What we need to do is ensure that with the fiscal response that we will provide … that it is very targeted, that it's very measured and it's very scalable.

On Monday he said:

We will be focusing on ensuring that we keep Australians in jobs, we keep businesses in business, and we keep investment flowing during what will be a very challenging time for the Australian economy.

It's about jobs, it's about cash flow and it's about investment.

This isn't the GFC; this is a health crisis with very significant economic implications. When those health issues are addressed, this government wants to make sure that we bounce back, and our plan is about ensuring that Australian businesses and jobs and the economy bounces back as strongly as it can. The interim economic assessment from the OECD has already revised Australia's growth in line with revisions to global growth and growth across the G20. The OECD is forecasting that the Australian economy will grow faster than the economies in the United States, Canada, Japan, France, Germany and the United Kingdom in 2021.

Responsible budget management allows us to deliver the first balanced budget in 11 years and it has given us the ability to respond to the crisis that is facing Australians today, to stand with them, to make sure that they have a government that is focused on their needs—not talking the economy down, not instilling fears in the minds of families and workers in this country but a government that's taking responsible decisions now to make sure that we deal with the issues that are important to them.

In addition to dealing with the coronavirus, when we compare reckless approaches to our economy, we can also look at Labor's reckless approach to our economy in relation to their 2050 emissions targets. They have not learnt at all from the mistake at last year's election. Their target is without a plan. It's like saying you want to go somewhere but you don't know how to driver the car or you don't know how to put petrol in it—probably not the best example to use in relation to this debate. However, it's perhaps like getting in an electric car and going for a long drive, knowing there is nowhere to charge that up along the way. But it is completely irresponsible for those opposite to set a target for 2050 when they can't even agree between themselves on what their 2030 target is and how much that will cost. It is completely irresponsible of those opposite to set a target without being honest with the Australian people about how they'll get there.

But we're at it again because all of the signs point to their secret carbon tax. There they were with a CSIRO report, supporting their target without a plan. The CSIRO report they were holding up modelled a $273 carbon price to get to zero net emissions by 2050. Now, you don't hear them talking about their secret plan for a carbon price of $273. The Leader of the Opposition failed seven times to rule out a carbon tax. The members for Hindmarsh, Corio, Hunter and Grayndler all last week failed to rule out a carbon tax. I challenge those opposite, those speaking after me: stand up; rule out the carbon tax; be honest with the Australian people on what your real road map is to achieve net zero by 2050.

This government will reduce emissions by investing and supporting technology, not by taxation. We know that the only solution those opposite have when presented with a problem, whether it be about reducing emissions or dealing with natural disasters, is tax, tax and tax. There is no better evidence that Labor and those members opposite, and in particular the member for Rankin, cannot be trusted. They cannot be trusted with managing the economy, particularly at times when the Australian people need us the most.

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