Nola Marino (Forrest, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My questions is to the Prime Minister. Families in Western Australia are bracing for a price hike of 12 per cent for gas, as WA's major distributor is looking to increase charges by 39 per cent from early 2025. Why did the Prime Minister choose to focus on his divisive Canberra voice proposal and not on addressing Western Australia's already crippling gas prices?

Honourable members i nterjecting—

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

Order! When the House comes to order, the Prime Minister has the call.

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

If I can understand the question from the member for Forrest—they managed to still get it into the question. Having asked every question about it, every day—not just before the referendum but also afterwards—they then come in here and ask the question, 'Why are you obsessed with it?' They asked nothing about the cost of living. They have a shadow Treasurer who doesn't know, I don't think, that this bloke here is the Treasurer, because he doesn't recognise competence and skills when he sees it. The opposition—

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

The Prime Minister will pause. The Treasurer and the shadow Treasurer are both on warnings. You won't be here; you can have it out outside. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition is on her feet for a point of order.

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A point of order on relevance. How can this possibly be relevant to the question that the member for Forrest asked about fuel prices in WA? And how can it possibly be relevant—

Honourable members interjecting—

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

The Prime Minister was asked a question about power prices, particularly regarding Western Australia, and the remainder of the question was about the referendum when other issues could have been focused on. So I'm going to listen carefully to the Prime Minister.

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

I'm certainly talking to the part of the question which said what is that we're concentrating our efforts on. We have been working on cost-of-living measures, including, I'm pleased to say, a Medicare urgent care clinic which is heading to Bunbury—out your way. That's one of them that is coming. I've no doubt you can organise a demo or something.

The member opposite voted against the measures that have put downward pressure when it comes to gas. They voted against it. They voted against it. They voted against cheaper child care, increased rent assistance, more Medicare bulk-billing, cheaper medicines, boosting income support payments, fee-free TAFE. They're against all of that, because their concentration on issues—they've asked, this year, one question about AUKUS or international or national security. Now, we're in a situation where we're in a globally uncertain world. They've asked zero questions about resources or critical minerals; nothing ever, in the entire term, about skills or TAFE; not a single question, this entire term, about manufacturing; not a single question about education, not one, the entire term; one question about wages; and nine questions about health—but 93 questions about the Voice or other matters; 93! I'll leave those who watch question time to decide who's obsessed.