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

My question is addressed to the Prime Minister. Isn't child care a productivity measure which boosts economic growth?

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

That is why the government invested $9.2 billion in our childcare changes that lifted female workforce participation to record levels, that reduced the gender pay gap in this country to lows. That is why we invested in it. That's why we put the changes in place. So the only question is: why did the Labor Party oppose it when we brought it into this place? Why would they do that? The design of the program, which was originally called Jobs for Families, was called that because it did just that. It got Australians into jobs. It got a record number of women into jobs.

And I tell you what: we are a government that believes in getting Australians into jobs and we are a government that has demonstrated out. Before we hit the COVID-19 recession, which is a mystery to the Leader of the Opposition, 1.5 million Australians got back into work. They got off welfare and they got back into work. We had a 30-year low in the working-age population of Australians who were dependent on welfare.

The reason why I believe that Australians have demonstrated such clear trust in our government during these difficult times is that they've seen us deal with the economic challenges that Australia has faced in the past. They've seen this government put in place policies that have got Australians back into work. They have seen this government get the budget back into balance by getting people off welfare and into work.

So, when the crisis hit, our government could respond in the way we did, and we have responded in a way that Australia has never seen before. As a result of those actions, millions of Australians kept their jobs. Hundreds of thousands of businesses were able to keep on, just like Caboolture Crash Repairs up there in Caboolture. It is a business that was going to have to put workers off but has been able to keep workers on and employ more workers now in a smash repairs business that is now going forward. That's what our budget is doing. That's what our economic management is doing.

Those opposite are not trusted by the Australian people on these issues, because their form is well understood. By contrast, they know—

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

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. The Manager of Opposition Business on a—

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On direct relevance. There was nothing in the question about alternative policies. The Prime Minister shouldn't feel the need to look down on people at the end of every answer.

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

I don't need the commentary, but the substance of the point of order is correct. There was nothing about alternative policies and, as I was about to say, the Prime Minister is straying from the question.

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

Indeed, after the years the Leader of the Opposition has been in this role, I haven't seen an alternative policy yet that is anything to speak of that he can pay for.