Angus Taylor (Hume, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister confirm that core inflation, the Reserve Bank's preferred measure of inflation, went up today?

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

The fact is that core inflation has come down since we were elected—that is a fact—consistently, all the way through and in the last quarterly figures that were given. Today, one of the things that strikes me is that they are never so unhappy and angry as when things are heading in a good direction for Australians. Their whole position is a-wishing and a-hoping for the very worst for Australia. No hope, just nope to everything that comes before this parliament.

Angus Taylor (Hume, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On relevance, Mr Speaker. That question was very specific. It asked about what core inflation did today—confirming that it went up. Is it your ruling that what he was saying, which was completely different from that, was relevant?

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

The Prime Minister did mention core inflation. So he's going to make sure he's talking about the topic, which is core inflation, not other topics and not alternatives. I hear what you're saying. The Prime Minister won't be able to go too far on this topic, because it was a very tight question. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

That's why I addressed upfront the issue of core inflation. I pointed out that it was lower than what we inherited. The new numbers today show that monthly inflation is around one-third of what we inherited at the election and around one-quarter of its peak. It's another encouraging sign that our policies are helping to get inflation down.

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

The member for Casey is warned.

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

After it was higher and rising under the Liberals. Indeed, in the last quarter when they held office, in March 2022, it was a figure of 2.1 per cent.

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

The Prime Minister will pause.

Order! We don't need a running commentary. The Manager of Opposition Business on a further 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, standing order 91(c) states that a member's conduct is disorderly if they wilfully refuse to conform to a standing order. You rightly directed the Prime Minister to come back to the subject of the question, to comply with the relevance requirement, and he is flouting your order, your direction.

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

I can appreciate the member would like a yes/no answer and he would like a direct response to the—

Opposition members interjecting—

I'm trying to work with the member for Hume here, so work with me. The way the standing orders are written, unless the Prime Minister is being out of order by not addressing the relevance part of the question, it is very difficult for me to make any minister give the answer that you'd like—

Opposition members interjecting—

Order! We're just going to deal with this in an orderly way. The Leader of the Opposition, further to the point of order of the Manager of Opposition Business.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I make reference to your earlier remarks and to the remarks you've repeated now, in relation to the essence of the question being in relation to core inflation, that if the Prime Minister makes some reference, even historic, to core inflation that would mean that he was in order. But the essence of this question is about whether the Prime Minister can confirm that core inflation went up today. The operative part, the most important part, of the question is: did core inflation go up today? The Prime Minister is not being relevant to that element. I think that is the question that is before you. If core inflation went up today, which is bad for consumers, that is the question we're asking, and that is the part that we believe the Prime Minister is not being relevant to.

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Order! I thank the Leader of the Opposition. The Prime Minister was referring to figures today. When it's a tight question, it's very difficult—

The Treasurer! To assist the House and to get through question time, I ask the Prime Minister to be directly relevant, otherwise we'll have to move to other questions.

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

I am talking about where core inflation was today and comparing it with what we inherited. I went straight to the question of core inflation when I was asked the question. The fact is that monthly inflation is around a third of what we inherited at the election and around a quarter of its peak. The last quarterly figures show that we are getting things done in the right direction. We are doing that by producing two budget surpluses in a row and by having responsible economic management.

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

Order! The member for Bowman is warned.

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

A point of order, Mr Speaker. It goes to the order of the House. Just then the Treasurer, after being warned in question time today and being called out by you, was not asked to leave. In fact, no ministers have been asked to leave, I don't believe, in your term of speakership, whereas the member for Deakin and other members on our side are frequently asked to leave without warnings. I ask you, respectfully, to consider that, highlighted by this example of the Treasurer in your ongoing deliberations.

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

Order! I appreciate the feedback from the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. It is difficult to maintain order in the House when there are continual interjections. I would like to think that, when I do issue warnings, people understand that there are consequences for those actions—as I have done.

The deputy would also like to check about the ministers I have removed from the House during debates and question time. At the conclusion of question time, I think two ministers were removed: the Minister for Regional Development and the Attorney-General. I want to make sure I put things on the record correctly. As I said, I appreciate the feedback. It's always good for the deputy leader to highlight that we shouldn't be interjecting during question time. Particularly, I'll take that on board.