Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Finance, Senator Gallagher. Can the minister please update the Senate about the impact of unfunded or terminating programs on budget deliberations and how the Albanese government has had to clean up the mess left by the Liberals and Nationals?

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

I thank Senator Smith for her question. Yes, I can update the chamber on the work we are doing to clean up the mess left behind by the Liberals and Nationals when in government.

We all knew that the former coalition government was addicted to spending taxpayers' money like it was Liberal Party money. We heard Senator Rennick outline that in one of his contributions last week. The October budget also uncovered, if people remember, $4.1 billion of holes we had to address in terminating measures, in funding cliffs and in zombie measures, some of which had sat before the parliament since 2016, propping up the budget with a decision taken in 2016 and never moved upon. We've had more time to go through the books.

The May budget will deal with more of the spending traps that the coalition deliberately baked into their bottom line, leaving the budget billions of dollars worse off. There are more funding cliffs for government programs: no ongoing funding for My Health Record, no ongoing funding for adult dental health, chronic underinvestment in the key cultural institutions that Australians treasure and are crumbling around us—literally crumbling around us—and no funding for key commitments made by the former government. Remember, the Brisbane Olympics were fifty-fifty, but no provision was made. No provision was made for the Murray Darling Basin Plan. There's underfunding and erosion of capability in key Public Service agencies like the department of agriculture, meaning government can't deliver services. There are drop-offs in funding for the Australian Radioactive Waste Agency. Do you reckon we might need that after December? What about the National Emergency Management Agency? What about the eSafety Commissioner? Do you reckon they might need ongoing funding to keep their programs going? (Time expired)

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

Senator Marielle Smith, first supplementary?

Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

After coming to government, what has the minister discovered about the economic mismanagement of the coalition that confirms the electorate's distrust in the Liberals and Nationals?

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

We've inherited $1 trillion in debt and an ongoing $50 billion in structural deficits with not enough to show for it. The former government spent money on rorts and waste to bolster their electoral chances with nothing to show for it.

Our first budget in October uncovered those unlegislated zombie measures that were banked since 2016 and not going to progress; funding cliffs of programs that were ended purely to improve the forward estimates even though any government would continue with them; failure to provision for necessary funding issues like COVID-19; and, of course, let's remember the big save in their budget on robodebt. Remember when you pursued hundreds of thousands of Australians for debts they didn't owe to make sure your budget looked better than it was, and it backfired against the lives of those Australians but also in the settlement you had to pay to get out of it?

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

Senator Smith, second supplementary?

Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What measures is the federal Labor government undertaking to dig the country out of the fiscal hole that the coalition created for ordinary Australians? How is the Albanese Labor government working to protect Australians from pressures related to the cost of living?

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

or GALLAGHER (—) (): I think the Australian people know the Albanese Labor government is one that can be trusted to be upfront with Australians about the state of their budget. Unlike the Liberals and Nationals, our government will have the difficult conversations with the Australian people about the economic challenges that we face and will make the responsible decisions to ensure a better future.

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

Senator Gallagher, please resume your seat. Senator Hume, I called you twice. I expect you to be silent. Minister Gallaher, please continue.

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

We're doing this work to ensure we can deliver for the Australian people, making room for targeted cost-of-living relief services that the Australian community expects. That's what Australians expect from their government—not a dodgy set of tricks and booby traps hidden in the budget to make your bottom line look better, and all the while the Australian people suffered— (Time expired)