Dan Repacholi (Hunter, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. How is the Albanese Labor government providing cost-of-living relief for Australians in need? What are the obstacles to this being delivered?

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

It's an honour to serve with the member for Hunter, and I thank him for his question. Inflation is easing in our economy in welcome ways, but we know that Australians are still under substantial pressure. More jobs were created in our first year than under any other new government, but we know that there's a lot of global economic uncertainty, and that combined with higher interest rates is slowing our economy here at home. We saw that in the retail figures out today, which were very soft.

In this environment, the government's No. 1 priority is rolling out billions of dollars of help with the cost of living. That assistance is being delivered in ways that address the most pressing parts of our inflation challenge and in targeted ways that make the job of the independent Reserve Bank easier, not harder. We're doing that at the same time that we're delivering the first budget surplus in 15 years and investing in supply side issues which were ignored for a wasted decade. You would think that those people in this place who come in here and ask questions about people doing it tough would actually put their hands up to help people who were doing it tough, but, sadly, that hasn't been the case.

I want to give the House a few examples. When five million Australians needed them to vote for some help with their electricity bills, they voted for even higher electricity bills instead. When Australians needed them to vote for price caps on gas and coal, they voted for even higher energy prices instead. When vulnerable and homeless people needed them to vote for more social and affordable housing, they voted for fewer homes instead. When six million Australians with chronic conditions need cheaper medicines, those opposite say that they'll vote for medicines to be more expensive instead.

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

The member for Fisher will cease interjecting.

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

As the minister said a moment ago, when the workers of middle Australia needed us to get wages moving again, those opposite voted for even more wage stagnation in our economy. The other day, the shadow minister even said that they would block an increase to working-age income support payments until the opposition leader humiliated him a few hours later.

My point is this: at every turn, they vote to make things worse. They've got a lot of nerve. If they cared about the cost of living, they would vote to help people with their cost of living. This opposition leader wants the Voice to go down and prices to go up, and for the same cynical political negative reasons. He's more interested in driving a wedge between Australians than driving down inflation in our economy.

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

The Treasurer will pause and take a seat for a moment so I can hear from the Manager of Opposition Business.

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On relevance: the question was about how the government is delivering cost-of-living relief and what the obstacles to this being delivered are. The Treasurer has been straying to areas that are well outside the terms of that. He is a serial offender.

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

Order, members on my right! The Treasurer is outlining obstacles. I'll just make sure the obstacles are related to the question. He has the call.

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

Those opposite would rather fight Labor than fight inflation. Inflation is moderating but the Liberals and nationals aren't. The party of robodebt has learnt nothing from a decade of failure, and that stench will remain even after the member for Cook leaves us.

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Before I call the member for Lyne, a general warning is now issued. I'm looking particularly at the members for Deakin and Barker. That means no more interjections, or you will leave the chamber. I hope that's clear.