Sam Rae (Hawke, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges the Government inherited an economy defined by a decade of stagnant wages, flatlining productivity, weak business investment, skills shortages and energy policy chaos; and

(2) notes that in the first ten months, the Government has:

(a) successfully argued for a minimum wage increase and passed legislation to get wages moving again;

(b) legislated cheaper child care and cheaper medicines;

(c) legislated emissions reductions targets and invested in cleaner and cheaper energy;

(d) invested in fee-free TAFE and more university places; and

(e) handed down a budget that delivered responsible cost of living relief and invested in the drivers of economic growth without adding to inflation; and

(3) further notes the next budget will build on these strong foundations with help for energy bills, higher wages for aged care workers and investments in economic growth.

Ten months ago the Australian people made an important decision. It wasn't a hard one, thanks to the member for Cook, but it was nevertheless a very, very important one. As we return to parliament for the final sitting week of the session and the last week before the budget, I think it's appropriate to reflect on the progress that the Albanese Labor government has made in repairing the Australian economy after almost a decade of failure at the hands of the former Liberal government. The nine years of Liberal economic mismanagement not only saw Australia squander economic opportunity but also left us with negative real wage growth; broken supply chains, which drive inflation; and a trillion dollars of debt without any economic dividend to show for it. That's a trillion dollars of debt—public debt, public money, taxpayer money—that those opposite blew on rorts and indulgences to serve their various mates in the small business sector and whatnot, perhaps their local communities, where they offered multiple car parks that weren't needed.

They weren't able to build any of them. The member opposite intervenes. These guys opposite, particularly the blokes, like to carry on about their business acumen, about what great businessmen they are. You all worked in your family businesses; your dads gave you your jobs. You never earned a job. You never did any hard work. And then finally, once they realised you were the dud son, they put you into parliament, where all good Liberals put the dud son.

Honourable members interjecting—

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