Sam Rae (Hawke, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If you've been reading some of the self-propelled commentary about Josh Frydenberg lately, you might be forgiven for thinking that he is the Liberal Party's chosen one. Just like Anakin Skywalker, Josh was prophesied to be the hero of our time. It was said that he would destroy inflation, not raise it, and bring balance to the budget, not leave it in deficit. Yet that's exactly what he left us: spiking inflation and $1 trillion of Liberal debt with nothing to show for it. Here we are, two years on, with a new hope. Balance has been restored, unemployment is down and real wages are growing, but the Liberals want to take us back to the prequels, back to when we had higher inflation, higher taxes and higher hopes for Josh Frydenberg.

These days, Josh is more of a phantom menace. One second he's fuelling speculation of a return to politics; the next he is but a humble investment banker. The Australian people are not tempted by this dark side. While the Liberals opposite reminisce of the glory days of the Scott Morrison empire—we might remember it was when a dark overlord overthrew his former master and consolidated power from the shadows—the Albanese government is getting on with delivering real wage growth and lower taxes for every single Australian.