Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. Can the minister explain how the Albanese Labor government is delivering cost-of-living relief for all Australians without adding to inflation?

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

Thank you, Senator O'Neill, for your question. Labor understands that Australians are under pressure, and that's why the Albanese government has been focused on delivering cost-of-living relief while bringing down inflation, and we know that there is more to do. Under this government, every single Australian taxpayer has received a tax cut. Under this government, child care and medicines are cheaper, and we have boosted bulk-billing. We've opened 75 free Medicare urgent care clinics across the country, delivered energy bill relief for every household and small business, introduced fee-free TAFE and reduced HECS debts. We're expanding paid parental leave to six months and adding superannuation to it. Under this government, you've seen increased wages for millions of Australians in aged care, child care and other industries. When we came to government, annual inflation had a six in front of it and was rising. Now, it has a two in front of it and is falling.

Mr Dutton, Senator Cash and those opposite voted no to every single cost-of-living measure. What cost-of-living relief would be on Mr Dutton's chopping block? He's confirmed he wants to make huge cuts that will leave Australians worse off, but he won't tell Australians what they are until after the election—a whopping over $350 billion in secret cuts! And we know that he wants to spend up to $10 billion a year of workers' money on long lunches and billions of dollars forcing nuclear power plants into peoples' backyards with the great result that their power prices would go up.

Unlike him, we are focused on cost-of-living relief. Mr Dutton is focused on cuts, conflict and culture wars. Australians would be worse off under Mr Dutton. (Time expired)

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

Senator O'Neill, first supplementary?

Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I note that the Albanese Labor government's careful management of the economy has brought inflation down to its lowest level in more than three years. Can the minister please inform the Senate how the government will continue to help Australians with cost-of-living measures?

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

Our focus every day is on how we can work to bring costs down, get wages up and keep inflation where it should be; cracking down on dodgy pricing and unfair charges, whether it's online or at the supermarket; and delivering new rights and better bargaining for workers across the country—something I'm sure Senator Cash would be happy about! And, if we are re-elected, we will slash student debts by a further 20 per cent.

By contrast, Mr Dutton and those opposite have no positive plan. But he does have a lot of secret cuts. That's because the Liberals and the Nationals have spent every day saying no to cost-of-living relief. They are arrogant enough to think that they got nothing wrong during their wasted decade in government and they're reckless enough to inflict it on Australia all over again. This isn't a time for cuts, but that's what Mr Dutton would have in store for Australians.

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

Senator O'Neill, second supplementary?

Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Wong. You've highlighted today tax cuts for every taxpayer, cheaper child care, cheaper medicines and fee-free TAFE, which are making meaningful differences to families in my state of New South Wales. Can you please outline any risks to the Albanese Labor government's cost-of-living measures that would leave Australians worse off?

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

The biggest risk to household budgets, the national budget, the broader economy and Australia's cost-of-living relief is Mr Peter Dutton. Whether it's cheaper power bills, cheaper medicines, Medicare urgent care clinics, cheaper child care, HECS debt help or tax cuts for every taxpayer, Mr Dutton has opposed them all.

What does he support? He supports tax breaks for bosses' lunches. He's opposed to cheaper medicines and Medicare urgent care clinics, he's opposed to cheaper child care, he's opposed to HECS debt help and he's opposed to tax cuts for every taxpayer, but he supports tax breaks for long lunches. This is a plan that could cost the budget up to $10 billion a year, as Treasury costings have revealed.

Mr Dutton is also in favour of cuts, though to what services he won't say. Australians will be worse off under Mr Dutton. (Time expired)