Hollie Hughes (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Farrell. With core inflation still almost twice the top of the RBA's band, what is the change in real wage—and I emphasise 'real wages'—since Labor came to office?

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

I thank Senator Hughes for her question. What we know about what has happened since the change of government is that, for the first time, you've got a government that is serious about looking after working people in this country. We don't have a leader of the government who proudly proclaims on television that low wages are a design feature of the government's policies.

Hollie Hughes (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A point of order on direct relevance: the question was very narrow and specific with regard to real wages, and, now that Senator Watt has handed some talking points over, perhaps Senator Farrell can get back to the question.

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

Senator Hughes, I am listening carefully. Your question went to inflation and wages, and the minister is responding correctly. I'll continue to listen carefully.

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

You now have a government in this country who is serious about looking after working people in this country. The whole structure of this government's policies has been designed to lift the living standards of Australian workers and remove the impediments that you put on people getting decent wage rises. Senator Hughes, if you were serious about lifting—

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Point of order: on the question of direct relevance, which is what the Senate standing orders do ask for—direct relevance by the minister—Senator Hughes asked not once but twice, to make it clear, about what has happened to real wages under this government. The minister has not mentioned real wages once in the three-quarters of his answer to date.

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

Thank you, Senator Birmingham. I'll give the same answer that I gave to Senator Hughes, but I will direct Minister Farrell to the second part of that question related to real wages.

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

An analysis of the ABS data shows that earnings for average full-time workers increased by 3.9 per cent in the first year of the Albanese government. In dollar terms that means around—

Hollie Hughes (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Point of order on direct relevance: the question was incredibly specific to real wages. Real wages are wage growth affected by inflation. Senator Farrell, could you please speak to real wages, not ABS data?

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

Senator Hughes, the minister is responding to your question, and I'll call the minister again.

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

Senator Hughes, I can tell you that I've spent a damn sight more of my life working to raise the living standards of Australians, and I'm doing that right now as a government minister.

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

Minister Farrell, I'll just remind you to direct your responses through the chair and not to the senator asking the question. Senator Hughes, are you standing for your first supplementary?

Hollie Hughes (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, I am. Minister Farrell, the reason you've worked for so much longer is you're so much older than me! Minister, can you confirm that last week the ABS living cost index showed employee households have seen a nine per cent rise in their living costs over the year? What items are driving up the cost-of-living pressures for Australians?

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

I thank Senator Hughes for her first supplementary question. I'll choose not to take advantage of Senator Hughes's youth, in my response to her question! There are a range of issues that we know are pushing up the cost of living. One obvious one is the cost of petrol. Having spent an amount of time overseas in recent weeks, these are not issues that are peculiar to the Australian economy. There's a war going on between Russia and Ukraine that's pushing up a whole lot of—

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

Minister Farrell, please resume your seat. Senator Hughes.

Hollie Hughes (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That was the perfect prelude to my second supplementary. Why is core inflation in Australia higher than in Germany, France, Italy, the United States, Japan or Canada? After two Albanese Labor budgets, why is inflation so much worse in Australia when it's so much better in the rest of the world?

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

I thank Senator Hughes for her second supplementary question. It is simply because of the mess that you left this economy in after nine years of incompetent economic management. Now, what did the Albanese government do this year? For the first time in 15 years, we produced a budget surplus, having been left—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Order!

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

I know you don't want to hear this.

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

Minister Farrell, resume your seat. Order on my left. Minister, continue.

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

I know you don't want to hear, but we turned your $70 billion deficit into—

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

Minister Farrell, please resume your seat. Senator Birmingham, I will refer to you on a point of order.

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My point of order goes to relevance. The question was about inflation and you have to wonder why the government is happy to try to claim the surplus but won't take responsibility for inflation and cost-of-living pressures.

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

Senator Birmingham, that is a debating point, and you know that very well. Minister, please continue.

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

Look, what are we doing to push down the cost of living? Well, electricity bill relief, cheaper child care, increased rent assistance, more Medicare bulk-billing, cheaper medicine, boosting income support payments, fee-free— (Time expired)