Lisa Darmanin (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I, too, rise to make my contribution this afternoon. I think that this government has a really proud history and is working hard every day for working Australians and all Australians.

Far from some concern about why we are seeing valedictory speeches in the other house, I think that we should be absolutely celebrating Linda Burney and my friend Brendan O'Connor for the outstanding contributions they've made to the Australian community over many, many years. As for 'all talk, no action', Australians are better off under this government.

In terms of inflation, these are the facts. Inflation peaked later here than in most other comparable nations. Rates started rising here later than in most other comparable nations, and they rose by less in Australia than in most of those nations. We've seen, around the world, that inflation can zigzag on the way down, and the last push is always the hardest. Our budget is putting downward pressure on inflation, not upward pressure. Inflation is now much lower than the 6.1 per cent we had, which was inherited at the election.

This government has turned big Liberal deficits into Labor surpluses by banking the majority of revenue upgrades, finding savings and restraining spending in the budget. Those opposite promised to deliver a surplus each and every year. That's right—they promised to deliver a surplus each and every year. But they delivered none.

The RBA governor has been clear that our back-to-back surpluses are helping our fight against inflation. The forecast from the RBA also confirms that our cost-of-living relief in this year's budget will directly reduce inflation in our economy. I reference Michele Bullock, the RBA governor, when she spoke to estimates on 5 June 2024: 'I think fiscal policy has been running a surplus the last couple of years, so I would say that has been helping.' The ABS has shown our cost-of-living policies are helping take some of the edge off inflation, and the revised RBA forecasts expect that too.

We are willing partners in the fight against inflation, and we are doing our bit, with the responsible way we are delivering the cost-of-living help and with the two consecutive surpluses, which the RBA governor has said are helping. Our job, as the government, is to recognise the weaknesses in the economy and the pressures people are under, which we deeply do, as we go about getting on top of inflation in a way that doesn't smash the economy and smash people. The Leader of the Opposition can't front up and explain his risky nuclear gamble—there's a bit of a lack of transparency there, I would say—or how his dangerous supermarket policies would work without pushing up prices.

I'd also like to make a couple of points on the comments around our government doing nothing about family and domestic violence leave, and our response in that regard. I take real issue with that because I know firsthand the work this government has done to help women and children escaping family violence. We made the very important decision to provide paid family violence leave to all workers in this country. That's 10 days of paid family violence leave. Family and domestic violence leave for people in work is extremely important. I have spoken to workers across Victoria who have faced job insecurity because of family violence. They have been unable to deal with the pressures of moving house and looking after their children, who had to change school, whilst maintaining a connection to the workplace.

Economic security for women who are facing family violence is extremely critical to enabling them to leave a violent relationship. Paid family violence leave provides the economic security to ensure that women can leave a violent relationship and keep their job, rather than being in a situation where they have to choose between making sure their kids are looked after, with a roof over their head, and their own personal safety. I applaud this government for the work it has done in that area, let alone the many others in the national plan to address family violence in our country.