Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is again addressed to the Prime Minister. Given wage growth is the lowest it's ever been, household debt is at record highs and consumer confidence is at a four-year low, why does the Prime Minister dismiss the role that this parliament has to play in debating the economic policy direction of the nation—or doesn't he have the confidence in his own position to be able to do so?

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's all about you, isn't it—through you, Mr Speaker. It's about the Australian people. We debate these matters in the parliament every day, as the measures that we—

An opposition member: No, you don't.

Apparently, when we bring legislation into this parliament that deals with economic measures, they're not debated in this place. The Leader of the Opposition has been here long enough to know that this debating chamber deals with copious amounts of legislation, and there is ample time. Before the next election, there will be the opportunity for the types of things the Leader of the Opposition is speaking about. I have no doubt that will be the case, as it is on every other occasion. But it seems that the debate he needs to have is within his own party, because within his own party they've got the climate fight club going on over there, with umpteen different positions on climate change. And he's got his own problems when it comes to the distractions of the New South Wales branch, where I see compensation payments are measured in how many Aldi bags they're handing out.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. In the latter part of the Prime Minister's contribution, the material wasn't relevant to the question. The Prime Minister needs to contain himself to the subject matter of the question—which, to be fair, included three measures: wages growth, household debt and consumer confidence. But I think he can talk about the economy, because—

Honourable members interjecting—

The Prime Minister has the call.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm in this place every single day talking about the economy, and let me tell you this: when we came to government, the real wage growth through the year was 0.5 per cent and today it's 0.7 per cent. On household debt, I note the comments of the most recent RBA minutes:

Despite the high level of household debt in Australia relative to other countries, the risks from household debt appeared to be mostly contained. … members noted that households continued to have large prepayments on their housing debt. In aggregate, mortgage prepayments were equal to two-and-a-half years of repayments.

What we're doing on jobs and what we're doing in restoring the budget to surplus will ensure that we will be there not only to meet the needs of today but also to meet the needs of tomorrow, because we know how to keep our heads, to keep calm, and to ensure that we continue to lay out the policies which we know are having the impact that they need to have, particularly in relation to employment.

Employment in this country is the beginning of everything. If someone has a job, that means they have an income. If they have an income, it means they have choice—and they will have choices on a much grander scale today than previously because of the policies that we've been putting in place. They extend to the record investment we are putting into education, ensuring every parent, regardless of where they live, will have the choice to send their children to the schools that they would like to. Equally, when it comes to medicines or hospitals or other measures, they are getting support through the budget that gives them those choices. Our government is a government that's about jobs. It is a government getting on with the job, and that's what our government will continue to do.