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

My question is to the Prime Minister. Last month saw the highest number of Australian business insolvencies of any month on record, with 1,364 businesses going bust. Since this Prime Minister took office, over 25,000 Australian businesses have gone insolvent. Behind every one of those 25,000 businesses is an owner who has gone broke and workers who have lost their jobs. This weak Albanese Labor government is taking our country in the wrong direction. How can Australian families possibly afford another three years of Labor?

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

The facts are just wrong that the deputy leader has put forward. It is half the level it was under John Howard's government, and the minutes of the RBA's monetary policy meeting from 24 September said this:

The cumulative level of insolvencies was still below the pre-pandemic trend …

Who was in government pre pandemic? Those opposite. So go and have a look. The RBA governor, appearing before the House Standing Committee on Economics in August, said, 'It's not at historical highs.' She said it very clearly.

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

The Prime Minister is answering the question. He couldn't be more direct with information to members. I was careful to make sure the Deputy Leader of the Opposition was heard in silence, so how about everyone gets a fair go? The deputy leader can help the House by ceasing interjecting. The Attorney-General can add to that cause by ceasing interjecting so we can listen to the Prime Minister.

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

I was quoting Michele Bullock and her appearance before the House Standing Committee on Economics. She said this:

In fact, if you look at the trend of insolvencies over time, we're not even back to where we were pre-pandemic, trend-wise.

That is just the RBA governor—just someone fact-checking the Deputy Leader of the Opposition.

But I'm asked about the last month. Well, I'll tell you what we've been doing in the last month and, indeed, in the last two weeks that this parliament has sat: free TAFE legislation, opposed by those opposite because apparently they don't value it, which explains why they don't support Medicare, TAFE, public schools or public hospitals; fixing HECS indexation for a fair go for young people; the most significant aged-care reform in a generation; Future Made in Australia, with production tax credits introduced to make a difference; and protecting our children with the social media reforms. We are delivering for every generation of Australians: for older Australians, by strengthening aged care; for families, with more housing and more help to buy a home; for students, with free TAFE and HECS debt relief for students; and for our children, by protecting them from the harms of social media. That's what we've done in just this fortnight.

What did those opposite do? They support privatising the NBN and won't support it staying in public hands; they want to increase migration and won't support the sensible measures put forward; they want to stop free TAFE; they want to protect dodgy private education providers, when they're not going to fundraisers for them; and they want to prevent Australians buying homes. Compare the pair, because next year that's what Australians will have the opportunity to do—an optimistic government, working for Australians to make life easier, or those opposite, working every day to make things harder because they think that advantages them. (Time expired.)