Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

I have acknowledged that people are under extreme pressure. I have acknowledged that. But more than acknowledge that we are doing something about it.

Only one side of this parliament cares about the pressures that people are under. That is why we're rolling out cost-of-living help. That's why we are cleaning up the mess they made of the budget. That's why we are investing in housing, in skills and energy and in a Future Made in Australia, because, when we came to office, real wages were falling, inflation had a six in front and was rising and interest rates had already started going up. Since we came to office, we have recognised the pressures people are under, we have recognised that growth in our economy is slow, and we have been fighting inflation without ignoring the risks to growth and the pressures people are under. If those opposite were serious about it, instead of opposing our changes to the tax cuts, instead of opposing our cost-of-living relief, instead of opposing getting wages moving, they would have supported it.

See this speech in context