Karen Grogan (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Women, Senator Gallagher. Can the minister outline how the policies of the Albanese Labor government will assist Australian households to manage the cost of living?

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

GALLAGHER (—) (): I thank Senator Grogan for her question and for her focus on cost-of-living pressures for Australians, including those from the good state of South Australia, who she represents.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's a very fine state.

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

Indeed. I'm sitting next to another proud South Australian. I begin by acknowledging that the decision by the Reserve Bank this week to raise interest rates will come as quite unwelcome news to households across Australia. Whether you're a mortgage holder or a renter, this interest rate rise will cause extra stress on household budgets. The government has worked day in and day out since being elected looking at ways to bring sensible, responsible and affordable cost-of-living relief to Australian households. Whilst we can't control what the Reserve Bank does with respect to interest rates, we can be a government that focuses on those measures designed to make life easier and that looks at ways to put downward pressure on some of those cost-of-living increases we have been seeing. What is in our control are measures to support and subsidise Australians in buying things that are essential. We're supporting everyday Australians through policies like our cheaper medicines, which came into being on 1 January; importantly, our cheaper child care, which for over one million Australian households will make child care more affordable; and, of course, reducing the increases on energy bills, which those opposite opposed in December last year.

Our cheaper child care reforms are really important. They are about making it more affordable for families. Also they are good economic policy. In turn, the extra resourcing and investment in child care supports greater workforce participation, especially by women. We've also got our fee-free TAFE policy, so we are investing in skills— (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Grogan, first supplementary?

Karen Grogan (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Could the minister give us some further detail on how the cheaper childcare measures could assist with the cost of living?

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

Yes, I can. I thank Senator Grogan for the question. The cheaper childcare plan will cut the cost of early childhood education and care for more than one million Australian families—1.26 million Australian families. It's a plan, of course, that we know the 'no-alition' over there, the opposition, opposed during the election. They say no to everything. That's what they're known for—the 'no-alition' over there. They said no to energy bill price relief. They couldn't agree with that.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Settle down.

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

They couldn't agree with $1½ billion going to ease the price of energy, could they? No. More jobs for Australians? No. More investment in manufacturing? No. Child care? No. It's just a big no from you guys. We're getting on with the job and investing in child care. For families earning $120,000 it will mean a saving of $1,700— (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Grogan, a second supplementary?

Karen Grogan (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Minister. That was very informative. I know that's going to make a significant difference to the people of South Australia and across the country. Could you outline what other plans the Albanese Labor government has to reduce the cost of living?

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

I can assure the Senate that every day that we come to work we are focused on easing cost-of-living pressures on Australian households and making the sensible and responsible policy responses where we can to show spending restraint in the budget so that we don't add to inflation, to deal with the supply chain issues and to deal with the visa backlog that we inherited. I don't even think you guys were awake when you were in your last year of government. Certainly, with all of the work we inherited, you must have been asleep at the table. Or maybe you let the former Prime Minister do all the jobs. Remember that? He did have all the jobs—'You guys just go to sleep. I'll not do any of the jobs that I've just taken off you.' We inherited the visa backlog, the skills shortages and the lack of investment in TAFE. These are the areas that we are focused on. We're addressing them one by one, cleaning up the mess of a government that had been there way too long.