Zoe McKenzie (Flinders, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. The Albanese Labor government is the weakest and most incompetent since the Whitlam government. Yesterday the RBA governor said:

The underlying inflation that we're experiencing is still sitting at around about 5 per cent for services. That's still a significant amount of inflation in the system.

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

The member will resume her seat for a moment and she will return back to her question. The Deputy Leader of the House?

Mark Butler (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We have had this discussion, as the Leader of the Opposition points out. Mr Speaker, you made very clear the view that questions should not contain argument, imputation and various other things that are prohibited under the standing orders. You would have thought that the Manager of Opposition Business would have got the message and reworded the question. Given that they haven't, I ask that you ask the member to reword her question and ask it again.

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

Order! The Leader of the Opposition will cease interjecting. The Manager of Opposition Business, on a point of order?

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, first of all, you've already ruled on this. But, secondly, this is particularly rich coming from the Deputy Leader of the House, who makes an art form of answering questions which include the phrase 'wasted decade'—

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

No. What is your point of order—not commentary on someone. What is your point of order?

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no monopoly on virtue on this side of the House.

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

I've dealt with this issue, and I would've thought, out of respect for the Speaker, you might have taken on board what I said, but that hasn't happened. The member for Flinders will state her question again.

Zoe McKenzie (Flinders, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Yesterday the RBA governor said:

The underlying inflation that we're experiencing is still sitting at around about 5 per cent for services. That's still a significant amount of inflation in the system.

When will this Prime Minister finally admit that Labor's reckless spending means inflation and interest rates are higher for longer?

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

I thank the member for her revised question, and I point out that services inflation in Australia is lower than it is in the United States or the United Kingdom. I also refer to the governor's statements that she made just yesterday. She said this: 'I've said public demand is not the main game. We still have inflation coming back to target in a reasonable way.' That's what she said. She then went on to make other comments as well. She spoke about this: 'We did take a different path to some other countries. Some other countries went up much higher, much more restrictive. Some of those countries, Canada and New Zealand, for example, are finding their unemployment rate rising quite quickly.'

She also went on to say at her press conference, 'The fact that inflation now for the last year has only been 2.8 per cent is actually real for people. They are seeing lower petrol prices. They are seeing lower electricity prices, so this is good for people. Real incomes are rising again, as inflation is declining and wage growth is a bit higher than that, and you've got the tax cuts.' Real incomes are rising again. That is what Governor Bullock had to say yesterday.

Those opposite speak about spending in their arrogant and reckless way. Have a look at what the criticism is for their $315 billion that they say is wasteful spending. Would they cut the indexation of the age pension? That's $14 billion. Would they cut energy bill relief for households and businesses? Was that wasteful? We know they opposed it. Cheaper child care for families and a 15 per cent pay rise for early childhood educators, expanding paid parental leave to six months and playing super on PPL—is that waste? Increases to Commonwealth rent assistance—we know they didn't really like that, and they certainly didn't like expanding eligibility for parenting payment single. We know that they find fee-free TAFE offensive—indeed, for a bloke who has been in the parliament for 20 years, yesterday was the first time the Leader of the Opposition has mentioned the word 'TAFE'. In 20 years in the parliament, it was the first time he has mentioned the word TAFE. Is boosting and indexing JobSeeker payments waste? Were cheaper medicines? We know they opposed that as well, and we know they want to abolish the Housing Australia Future Fund and make $19 billion of cuts to housing. That's not a way forward. What we've managed to do is halve inflation while looking after people through cost-of-living relief.