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

My question is to the Prime Minister. Petrol prices have increased by as much as $900 for a typical family driving a standard car in a year, while real wages have fallen by $700. Can the Prime Minister confirm it has become harder for Australian families to make ends meet under his almost decade-old government?

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

Headline inflation under our government has increased by 1.8 per cent over the time we have been in government. Under the Labor Party it was 2.7 per cent. Electricity prices under our government have risen on an annual average basis by 0.3 per cent.

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister will resume his seat for one moment. I'd just ask members of the House to please keep the level of interjections down. Thank you. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

As I said, electricity prices under our government, since we were elected, have risen on average by 0.3 per cent a year. Under the Labor Party, they rose by 12.9 per cent over their time. In most recent years, over the last three years, electricity prices have fallen by 3.2 per cent on average each year. Under the Labor Party, in their last three years, they were rising, as I said, by around 12.9 per cent each and every year.

On fuel prices, in the last three years, they have increased by 1.2 per cent on average per year. Under the Labor Party, they increased by 2.6 per cent each and every year. And on average, over our term of government, they have increased by 0.4 per cent, and, under the Labor Party, as I said, by 2.6 per cent. What I know about petrol prices is this: the Labor Party want to change the fuel emissions standards, which is an increase in the petrol price for consumers. The Labor Party has a sneaky petrol tax, a sneaky petrol tax where they want to jack up the price of petrol—

Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. The Leader of Opposition, on a point of order?

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

Yes, Mr Speaker; it goes to relevance. The question asked about petrol prices going up by $900 in the last year. It didn't invite the Prime Minister to make up policies from those on this side of the House.

Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. The Prime Minister has the call. I would ask the Prime Minister to remain relevant to the question.

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

I'm talking about what the impacts on petrol prices might be—what they might be—and what I can tell the House and what I can tell Australians is that our policies will not be changing the fuel emissions standards that will put a sneaky petrol tax on Australians. Our policies will not do that.

Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. The Leader of the Opposition, on a point of order?

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

Yes, Mr Speaker. He is now defying your ruling.

Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No. The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. The Prime Minister is on point. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

I can understand why the Leader of the Opposition, with his constant interjections and coming to the dispatch box, is sensitive on the issue of sneaky taxes. I can understand why he's sensitive. The carbon tax—no, it wouldn't happen under a Labor government, would it?

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

Mr Speaker—

Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. The Prime Minister will return to the question at hand.

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

Under our government, with the economic policy settings that we have put in place—the excellent fuel security initiatives that have been put in place by the Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction and the excellent policies to secure the refinery operations that we have up in Queensland and securing those down in Victoria as well—we are protecting jobs in refineries, in aluminium smelters, in the resources industry and in manufacturing. They are policies that we are putting in place. (Time expired)