Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

I welcome the question from Senator Birmingham and the opportunity to talk about the fantastic budget that the Albanese Labor government delivered last night. I note in the question there was reference to the energy subsidies that were included in the budget as a way of putting downward pressure on inflation, which I thought I heard in the media reports that you were all supporting. I think that's what I heard, or are you now saying that you don't think that is a way to put downward pressure on inflation and help people with the cost of living?

This budget, which we delivered last night, has a focus on easing some pressure on people around the country. That goes to the cost-of-living relief. It looks at how we can repair the budget over time from the one that we inherited from those opposite. I know it must absolutely kill you to know that we're going to deliver the second surplus—the first government in 16 years to achieve that—that we've got lower debt than we inherited, that we've got lower deficits than we inherited, that we're paying less interest on that debt and that we've managed to find savings, something that seemed to elude those opposite in their budgets.

We've been able to find savings, pay down debt, lower interest rates, have smaller deficits and have two surpluses at the same time. Whilst we're doing all that, we've got an eye on the future: what role should Australia play in the global economic transformation that we're seeing at the moment? What do we hear? We hear that those opposite are going to vote against a Future Made in Australia. Why would you think that was okay? It's against Australian jobs, against Australian industries and against a tax system that works to incentivise production to play a real role in the economic transition to net zero. What a surprise! Those that can't stop saying no say no to even a Future Made in Australia. (Time expired)