Carina Garland (Chisholm, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. How is the Albanese Labor government helping relieve cost-of-living pressures on Australians, and is there any opposition to these actions?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Chisholm for her question. Our No. 1 priority is easing cost-of-living pressures. There are three vital ways we are tackling the cost of living: getting costs down for families; getting wages up for workers; and getting the budget onto a stronger foundation. We're taking pressure off inflation and pressure off interest rates.

The Leader of the Opposition has opposed every action we have taken. He has nothing positive to offer the country—he just says 'no' and opposes any changes put forward. In spite of this opposition, we've delivered $23 billion in cost-of-living relief to Australians to help get costs down; cheaper child care; increased rent assistance; more Medicare bulk-billing; cheaper medicines; boosting income support payments; electricity bill relief; fee-free TAFE; building more affordable homes; and the expansion of paid parental leave. We're acting on wages as well. But those opposite oppose all of it, just like they opposed our actions to get wages growing. Even the pay rise for aged-care workers and the increase in the minimum wage. They opposed an increase in the minimum wage. We have created 550,000 jobs since we came to office—a record for any new government.

We did something else those opposite never achieved in their decade in office: we produced a budget surplus, turning a $78 billion deficit into a $22 billion surplus. They vote against all of this. We prioritise growth, but one area where we've never seen any growth is in the Leader of the Opposition! Fifteen years after he walked out on the apology, he hasn't grown a bit.

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

The member for Gippsland will cease interjecting.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He's such a development free zone, I'm worried the Greens will start warming to him, because, if you want nothing to happen, he's your guy! No growth, no development, just staying in the same old reactionary position, dragging the Liberal Party to the right.

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

The member for Deakin will cease interjecting.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We talk about going forward. He has no plan—just sitting there saying what he's against.

They voted against secure jobs and better pay. They ran up the biggest budget deficit in Australian history, but we on this side are cleaning up the mess.

Opposition members interjecting—

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

There is far too much noise on my left. The member for Durack and the member for Deakin were constantly interjecting during that answer. It's highly disorderly. I'll take action if it continues.