Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Social Services. How is the Albanese Labor government delivering cost-of-living relief to Australians, and are there any threats to this relief being delivered?

Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Moreton for that question. Like the member for Moreton, every single member of the Albanese government is absolutely committed to delivering cost-of-living relief for every single Australian. We understand that people are under pressure, and that's why we are delivering responsible cost-of-living relief.

Every Australian taxpayer is keeping more of what they earn because of Labor's tax cuts. We have frozen the cost of PBS medicines and $300 of energy bill relief is now rolling out. Eligible families with newborns are benefitting from an extra two weeks of paid parental leave, and we are continuing to freeze the social security deeming rates for another year so that pensioners can keep more money in their pockets. From 20 September, we will deliver an increase to the maximum rates of Commonwealth rental assistance by a further 10 per cent. On that same day, regular indexation will apply to rent assistance, pensioners and other payments to provide extra financial support.

I've been asked if there are any threats to that relief. I would assume that indexation of pensions and other payments would be supported right across the House but, unfortunately, we've now found out that those opposite clearly do not support this. Just a few months ago the member for Hume went on the ABC and characterised this indexation arrangement as unrestrained spending that he was going to rein in. I thought maybe he didn't understand that he was proposing a cut to the pension. But this week we've seen that dynamic duo, the member for Hume and Senator Hume, double down on this criticism. It is now clear that the member for Hume, backed by Senator Hume, is opposing regular indexation increases.

Of course, nobody should be surprised, because those opposite have form. When the Liberals were last in government, they made a lot of cuts. They cut the pension, they cut family payments, and now the member for Hume needs to come clean: if he is ever to be Treasurer, how much would he cut the pension? Of course, those opposite have nothing positive to offer. The Leader of the Opposition wants higher power prices, higher grocery prices, higher housing prices, higher taxes and lower wages, and now he wants to cut the pension. It is only Labor that can be trusted to get things done and deliver meaningful cost-of-living relief.