Angus Taylor (Hume, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the Prime Minister's previous answer, telling Australians that they have never had it so good. Prime Minister, isn't it the case that unemployment—

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Resume your seat for a moment. We'll get back to your question. The Treasurer will cease interjecting—

The Leader of the Opposition doesn't need to assist me before I call someone. The Prime Minister is rising on a point of order.

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

Are you in charge?

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

Order! The Leader of the Opposition will remain silent. When the Leader of the Opposition takes a point of order I ask everyone to be silent; I'm doing the same for the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is raising a point of order. I want to hear what the point of order is.

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

Mr Speaker, it goes to the standing orders that require—and the verballing that just occurred, quoting former prime minister John Howard, not me. We have very few things in common, and that comment is not one of them.

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Order! I'm just going to say that if the shadow Treasurer is claiming that someone has said something, he's got to make sure it's accurate: not what he thinks was said, but what the record shows. That's what I'm trying to say. We will start again, and we'll ask the shadow Treasurer to begin his question.

Angus Taylor (Hume, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the Prime Minister's previous answer, telling Australians that they've never had it better. Prime Minister, isn't it the case that unemployment today reflects Australians scrambling for extra work to pay their bills under this government's disastrous economic policies?

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

I note the change in language between the first attempted question and the second, but neither of them, of course, were accurate. This is what the figures released today actually show: the unemployment—

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

Order! The Shadow Treasurer has had a really good go today, so he will remain silent for the remainder of this answer and every other answer to assist the House.

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

He has had, unusually for the Shadow Treasurer, a good crack today. Unfortunately, they handed the questions from the member for Deakin to him, and before he read them, he just read them out loud. I'll give you a tip, mate. Read them first. Decide how silly they are.

Now, the unemployment rate today went down from 4.1 to 3.7 per cent. Those opposite thinks that's bad. Who here thinks that that was good?

Government members interjecting—

 The unemployment rate at the election in May 2022 was four per cent—

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Order! No, the Prime Minister will pause. The members on my left will cease interjecting. The member for Groom and the member for Page will cease interjecting. The member for Barker will cease interjecting.

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

Those opposite hate jobs being created; they hate it. Total employment increased by 116,500 in a month. We think that's good. Those opposite think that's bad. Total employment increased by 437,000 over the year. We think that's good; they think that's bad. The participation rate increased.

Not every state has an unemployment rate with a three in front of it—I'll say that. It didn't happen when they were in government. Nationally, of course, it's happened most months except the one where it dipped up to 4.1 per cent, but it's back with a three. See if you can guess what these states have in common that have an unemployment rate with a three in front: New South Wales, 3.6—Premier Minns; Victoria, 3.9—Premier Allan; Queensland, 3.9; South Australia, 3.2—Premier Mali; and WA, 3.6. There are five states in Australia with Labor governments; all of them have an unemployment rate with a three in front. They have something in common, which is that Labor governments believe in creating jobs.