Cassandra Fernando (Holt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. Why is cost-of-living relief the No. 1 priority of the Albanese government? How does it compare to other approaches?

Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's a real honour to serve with the member for Holt, who's an absolute champion for her local communities and her local people. You wouldn't know it from those opposite, but the No. 1 pressure that people feel right now is cost-of-living pressure. That's why it's our No. 1 focus as a government, from the Prime Minister right through our government.

We know that people are doing it tough, and that's why we are providing a tax cut for every taxpayer, energy bill relief for every household and help with medicines, early childhood education and rent and boosting pay at the same time. But all we get from those opposite is another day of doubling down on divisiveness and diversion, another day of scaremongering from the Leader of the Opposition and another day of silence from the shadow Treasurer on the economy.

I was thinking a moment ago, when Minister Rishworth was talking about Prime Minister Morrison swearing himself into multiple portfolios: the former government had two Treasury spokespeople; this opposition has none. So it averages out—one each, either side of the election. One of them is on the dog whistle; the other one is in the doghouse. Whenever the shadow Treasurer plays his little dog whistle, he rolls over. Every time he plays his dog whistle, he sits there voiceless and clueless on the most important issue that people face right now.

Today in question time, every single question was on the Middle East and not one single question was on Middle Australia.

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

The member for Paterson is warned. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition, on a point of order.

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

Speaker, you have ruled several times on imputations about other members' language use in descriptions of character. I seek your ruling about whether the Treasurer is in order with that answer.

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

I'm just going to ask the Treasurer to temper his language, to return to the question and to get through this answer. The Treasurer has the call.

Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They're playing politics on national security because they are hopeless on economics. That's the truth of it.