Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Walsh, for the question. She, like every member of our caucus, understands that Australians are under pressure, which is why we have made helping all Australians with the cost of living our priority. From 1 July this year, we have a tax cut for every Australian taxpayer, not just some, as those opposite wanted; $300 of energy bill relief, which you opposed; a freeze on the cost of PBS medicine for every Australian, which, again, was not supported by you; a third consecutive pay rise for 2.6 million workers, opposed by the party who believe that low wages should be a deliberate design feature of the Australian economy; more funding to build homes in every part of this country, also opposed; and an increase to paid parental leave. That is on top, as I said before, of Labor delivering cheaper child care, HECS relief for everyone with student debt, fee-free TAFE and the biggest investment ever in expanding bulk-billing.

What do those opposite have to offer Australians? First, as I said, they want to adopt the Greens party's policy on supermarkets, which we know risks increasing the prices that people pay at the checkout. In addition, they want to adopt the most expensive form of electricity there is, nuclear reactors, which would not be operational until the 2040s, and they have no plan about what to do with supply between now and then.

In relation to supermarkets, if I might return to that, I would remind those opposite that the former ACCC chair Graeme Samuel said, of Mr Dutton's policy, that it is a 'disgrace' and it's 'populist politics'. Mr Dutton, whether it's on nuclear or on supermarkets, has no answer on the cost of living. (Time expired)