Cassandra Fernando (Holt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. In its first six months, how has the Albanese Labor government acted to manage the economy in the interest of Australians? What policies and approaches have been changed?

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

Thanks to the member for Holt for another important question. She is a warrior for working Australians and for the vulnerable in her community, and, once again, she is asking about an important matter. The government changed hands just over six months ago at a time of slowing global growth and a war in Europe that was causing havoc in energy markets, feeding high and rising inflation and rising interest rates around the world. Since then, these global challenges have intensified, putting more pressure on Australia, on our economy and on Australians.

When a bad government hit the fence in May, it was replaced by a new government prepared to take these big economic challenges seriously—to talk up to people, not talk down to them; not spray money around and make inflation worse; not sit on our hands while the skills crisis intensified; not pursue a policy of deliberate wage stagnation; not ignore the big challenges in energy, aged care and the budget. These were the defining features and the defining failures of a decade of economic mismanagement. They made us more vulnerable to the sorts of international shocks we're seeing in the global economy.

The past six months have been about cleaning up the mess left to us, making the budget more responsible, making our economy more resilient and delivering for Australians. We said we'd deliver cheaper child care, and we delivered. We said we would deliver cheaper medicines, and we delivered. We said we'd deliver fee-free TAFE, and we delivered. We said we would give young people more chances to get a degree, and we are delivering that as well. We said we would tackle Australia's housing affordability challenges, and we are delivering. We said we would invest in cheaper and cleaner energy, and we are doing that as well.

We said we would recognise the vast economic opportunities of a better national broadband network, and we are delivering that as well. We said we would fix the aged-care crisis, and we are. We said we would bring manufacturing back with the National Reconstruction Fund, and we are. We said we would get wages moving again, and that's exactly what we are delivering by backing an increase to the minimum wage and award wages—done; by backing a wage increase for aged-care workers and paying for it—done, and getting it done; and by fixing a broken bargaining system, which we are delivering as well. We said we would do these things, and we are, because we told the Australian people we would put them front and centre again, we would take their pressures seriously and we would build a better future together, and that is exactly what we are delivering.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Members will cease banging their desks. It's highly disorderly. I mean it. Order! The House will come to order and the member for Lindsay will be heard in absolute silence.