Jane Hume (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. Having spent months patting yourselves on the back and giving yourselves credit for the last two budget surpluses, what responsibility does the Albanese government—

Hon. Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order! Senator Hume, please resume your seat. I remind senators that Senator Hume is entitled to put her question with silence from the chamber. Please continue, Senator Hume.

Jane Hume (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Madam President. Minister, having spent months patting yourselves on the back and giving yourselves credit for the last two budget surpluses, what responsibility does the Albanese government take for the reported record deterioration in government finances—the largest worsening of a budget outside of a war or a pandemic—or does Prime Minister Albanese only want to claim other people's successes, while blaming others for his economic failures?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Hume, for the question. We always take responsibility. We take responsibility for making sure we work to deliver higher wages. We take responsibility for making sure we work to deliver more bulk-billing and more urgent care clinics. We take responsibility for making sure we get our housing support through the parliament. We take responsibility for making sure we properly fund infrastructure, we properly fund aged care and we properly fund health. These are all the things this government takes responsibility for.

I'd make this point. Obviously, these are not the government's numbers. These are numbers that will be updated in the usual way, in the upcoming mid-year budget, but I would say that the Treasurer and the finance minister have been saying for some time that pressures on the budget are building, not easing. We've been upfront about that. Senator Gallagher has made that clear. The report that you have referenced shows that global economic uncertainty, like the slowdown in China, is a key factor weighing heavily on the budget right now.

Senator Hume, you are one of the people I referenced in response to the last answer. It wasn't that long ago that you talked about the fact that real wage increases would be the worst thing for Australians.

I'll repeat that, Senator Jane Hume claimed real wage increases would be the worst thing for Australians. What I would say to you, Senator Hume is that we don't agree with your economic prescription.

They're your words. You take responsibility for your words, Senator. You asked me if we take responsibility for our decisions, and we do. Will you take responsibility for your words and your policies?

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

Senator Hume, a first supplementary question?

Jane Hume (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, independent estimates are that this deterioration—

Hon. Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Senator Hume. Please resume your seat. Order across the chamber! Senator Hume, I'm going to invite you to begin again, and I'll ask the clock be reset. I expect there to be silence.

Jane Hume (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, independent estimates are that this deterioration represents a $49.3 billion hit to the budget bottom line. This is the largest nominal contraction in the underlying cash balance on record outside of the pandemic. Will the Albanese government rule out making this budget blowout worse through ever-increasing, bigger spending promises?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator, I know that your policy is to cut $315 billion from the budget, but we don't take the view that at time when Australians are struggling, what we should be doing is cutting health. We don't take the view that what we should be doing is putting downward pressure on wages. We don't take the view that we should be saying, 'No, we won't fund urgent care clinics.' The problem is, Senator Hume, that your policy prescription will do nothing other than make things harder for everyday Australians. That is the reality. Your policy prescription would make things harder—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Minister Wong, please resume your seat. I'm surprised, Senator Hume. I demanded there be silence when you asked your question. I invited you to re-put your question and I restarted the clock. I've called your side to order and you in particular, and you have continued that interjection. That's rude and disorderly and I expect you to listen in silence—and Senator McGrath. Minister Wong.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no doubt about two things. First is the budget position that we inherited had hundreds of billions of deficits—six years worth—more than $300 billion and an average deficit of $50 billion. Under this government, we turned two of those big Liberal deficits into two substantial surpluses. The other truth is you want wages to be lower— (Time expired)

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

Senator Hume, a second supplementary question?

Jane Hume (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Economist Chris Richardson stated of Australia: 'We have not had good management. We've had good luck, and good luck is temporary.' Have economists like Mr Richardson been right all along when they called out Labor's record spending and productivity-destroying red tape and regulations for weakening the economy while keeping inflation and interest rates higher for longer?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have another quote from Deloitte which is of interest:

The government still deserves credit. Most of the 'unexpected revenue which has flowed into federal coffers over the past two years has been saved rather than spent. That has required discipline.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You don't like that quote? You don't like my quote? You don't like this quote?

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

Minister Wong, please resume your seat. I want there to be order across the chamber. Senator Hume?

Jane Hume (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Point of order on relevance. I quoted Mr Richardson, not Deloitte. Just quoting somebody randomly back to me isn't appropriate. If I could draw you back to the purpose of the question?

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

Thank you, Senator Hume. The Minister is being relevant. I'll ask her to continue.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll certainly give you another quote, Senator Hume. Senator Jane Hume claimed 'real wage increases would be the worst thing for Australians'. I'll add this:

Adding more rights for workers for something that is just part of a normal working relationship is unreasonable …

More rights for workers is unreasonable!

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order! I'm just wanting there to be—Senator Hume, I haven't called you yet. I'm trying to get order in the chamber. Senator Hume?

Jane Hume (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On relevance. I quoted Mr Richardson. I didn't ask for a quote. And if you are going to quote me, please do so accurately; don't just make stuff up.

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

Your question went to broad economics. That is what the Minister is responding to. Minister Wong, please continue.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Through you, President, what I'd say to Senator Hume and the opposition is that if their version of good decision-making is $315 billion worth of cuts out of the federal budget, if their version of good decision-making is not giving every Australian a tax cut, if their version of good decision-making is to oppose wage increases— (Time expired)