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

My question is to the Minister for Finance. The Albanese Labor government is working hard every day to deliver cost-of-living relief for Australian families in a responsible way. Central to this is ensuring Australians earn more and keep more of what they earn. Can the minister please inform the Senate about what measures the Albanese Labor government have put in place to support Australian families to meet costs? And can the minister also please inform the Senate how these measures have been carefully calibrated to ensure they put downward pressure on the cost of energy, housing and groceries?

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

I thank Senator Grogan for her question and for the work she does in advocating for the good people of South Australia, raising all of these issues with us. Our No. 1 priority is delivering cost-of-living relief. You have seen that in the core of all of the decisions we have taken since coming to government: every Australian taxpayer is getting a tax cut, not just some; every Australian household is getting $300 energy bill relief; 2.6 million low-paid workers who were forgotten by those opposite are getting their third consecutive pay rise; stronger Medicare and cheaper medicines in every community; HECS relief for everyone with a student debt; more homes built more quickly in every part of the country; and cheaper groceries by strengthening of the food and grocery code. This is sensible cost-of-living relief that we can provide without adding to inflation.

There's more to do and we will keep working every day, as we have since we have been elected. We know it is a privilege to be in this position of being able to make decisions that benefit all Australians. We know that if those opposite got their hands on government again, it would mean: higher power prices because they don't support energy bill relief; there would be higher housing prices because they haven't supported pretty much any part of our Homes for Australia plan; higher taxes, particularly for those who were not going to get a tax cut under their original plan; and lower wages. We know that because we know their form in government. Low wages were a design feature of their economic architecture. They did not go into Fair Work Commission's annual wage review with any submission that supported a wage increase for low-paid workers. That is what we would have if this mob opposite got back into government. That is why we will continue to work against that every single day. (Time expired)

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

Senator Grogan, a first supplementary?

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

That was a great answer from the minister. I really appreciate the detail. The wage price index was released today showing that wages are rising 0.8 per cent to 4.1 per cent higher through the year. The government has also put downward pressure on inflation after inheriting an inflation rate of 6.1 per cent from the coalition. Can the minister please explain how the government is working in complement with the RBA on the inflation challenge while supporting cost-of-living measures?

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

Thank you for that supplementary question. We always, and I think you heard it from Minister Watt this afternoon, want Australians to own more and keep more of what they earn, and we welcome the wages data that was released today. Those opposite do not get it. Higher wages is the best form of cost-of-living relief Australians can get and that is why we have been pushing for wages growth in this country after a decade of wage stagnation.

The opposition are oblivious to the cost-of-living challenges facing many Australians. They voted against our cost-of-living relief at every opportunity and now they are saying they want to cut pensions and services that Australians rely on. As the RBA governor said, the government's job is to get inflation down and to provide services for Australians. We are doing both. Australians would suffer if we didn't do both, and we will continue our approach.

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

Senator Grogan, second supplementary?

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

As we on this side know, not everyone in this parliament has supported the Albanese Labor government's cost-of-living relief measures. Our government inherited an inflation rate of 6.1 per cent from those opposite at the last election, and we've worked hard to bring that number down while supporting Australian families. Can the minister please explain why a slash-and-burn budget approach would've left Australian families worse off?

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

I thank Senator Grogan for the supplementary. Those opposite are very quick to use the figure of $315 billion in their media interviews, where they say it's excessive spending.

But they are less likely to give you a breakdown of what that spending is, because they would then have to say that they would cut the age pension and other income support payments, they would cut rent assistance and spending on housing, they would cut the money for women's safety, they would cut the energy bill relief, they would cut the pay of aged-care and early education workers and they would cut funding for medicines on the PBS and for our measures for cheaper child care. They wouldn't support expanding and paying superannuation on PPL, wouldn't support natural disaster recovery funding and relief and wouldn't support an increase in spending on veterans' compensation and rehabilitation claims.

I could go on. I'm not going to have enough time. But that is the secret behind the number that you use.