Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

We prioritise supporting families and small business every day. Those opposite come in here and vote against relief for families and small business every day. Last December, they came in here and voted against a $1½ billion package—they voted against it. They raise inflation. Here's what the bloke opposite had to say:

… nobody wants to see interest rates go up, but it's a reality of a world where there's inflation. I think Australians understand that … there's a lot of pressure—upward pressure—on interest rates at the moment.

That's what he had to say as a minister in the Morrison government when interest rates started going up. And the shadow Treasurer barks across the chamber, but he said at the same time, 'We're facing circumstances in what's happening in the Ukraine and Russia that were not expected and very hard to predict. These pressures are driven by extenuating circumstances.'

Their hypocrisy knows no bounds. They come in here and they have no actual constructive plans to put forward. They come in here and they vote against our energy price relief plan. They vote against free TAFE; they voted against the electric vehicle discount; they vote against wages going up. The people who speak about people under pressure—do you remember during the election campaign?—said that a $1 an hour increase was going to wreck the economy. It was reckless; it was responsible. Those opposite say no to price caps from big energy companies. They say no to price caps, and they say no to $1½ billion in direct bill relief. And, of course, they won't ever take serious action when it comes to dealing with these issues, but I say to them, 'If you just get out of the way when people do have positive suggestions and plans such as we are already implementing to address the cost-of-living pressures which are out there.'

See this speech in context