Jana Stewart (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Gallagher. The key focus of the Albanese Labor government has been to ease the cost of living for all Australians. Our plan has been all about helping Australians to earn more and keep more of what they earn. Low unemployment and keeping Australians in jobs is essential to achieving this goal. Inflation is down, wages are up, unemployment is low and more than 1.1 million jobs have been created. How has the government achieved these economic objectives and how has it helped Australians?

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

I thank Senator Stewart for the question and particularly for focusing on the cost of living because, when I'm out talking with people around Australia, they want the government focused on the cost of living and looking at ways that we can support households when inflation has been higher than we would like. We are pleased that inflation has come down and has come down so substantially from what we inherited, where we had living standards going backwards, inflation going up and wages stagnating. We've been able to make sure that inflation comes down. It's come down substantially. Importantly, wages are growing so that people are earning more and keeping more of what they earn, despite the objections of those opposite. We have seen the creation of 1.1 million jobs. So, unlike many other countries that have been dealing with the same global inflation problem and, as they have seen that inflation come down, have seen a much higher rate of unemployment, we have been able to not only see more people stay in jobs but actually see the creation of more jobs. That is something that all of us in this chamber should be pleased with.

We recognise that households are doing it tough, which is why we have been looking at ways to provide cost-of-living assistance for households in a way that is responsible, in a way that the budget can afford and in a way that doesn't add to inflation. We have done that through making sure we have got wages moving again. We have done that through tax cuts, making them fairer and applied to every taxpayer. We have done it through our investments in Medicare and our investments in early education and care. We have done that through our commitment to reduce HECS debt. We have dealt with the indexation issue there and now we are changing the HECS arrangements going forward. (Time expired)

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

Senator Stewart, first supplementary?

Jana Stewart (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australia has fought inflation whilst keeping unemployment low. In creating 1.1 million jobs, we've also seen record participation of women in the workforce and the lowest gender pay gap. How has the Albanese Labor government supported women to earn more and keep more of what they earn?

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

I thank Senator Stewart for that supplementary and, again, for focusing on some of the improvements we've seen for women in the workforce since this government came to office. No doubt, these are all things that those opposite would claim as 'wasteful spending'. These are things like extending paid parental leave—I think that those opposite include that in their 'wasteful spending' bucket—paying super on PPL and making sure that we are investing in those industries where we see high levels of women workers, so in aged care and in early education and care. Again, these are obviously seen as wasteful spending by those opposite, and we shouldn't be surprised, because they didn't focus on women's economic security when they were last in government, so why would they focus on it now? We've got the gender pay gap at record lows. Average weekly earnings for women have increased $173.80. Of the million jobs, 500,000 of them have gone to women.

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

Senator Stewart, second supplementary?

Jana Stewart (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The state of the economy at the last election showed inflation was high and rising, real wages were falling and living standards were going backwards. That is the record of those opposite. How has the Albanese Labor government's approach improved this outlook, and why has the government taken this approach?

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

Thank you, Senator Stewart. Senator Stewart is right: inflation was going up, living standards were going backwards, wages had stagnated and workers hadn't seen a real wage increase for a long time. And let's contrast that with what's happening now: low inflation, wages growing and more jobs. That's what we have delivered with our economic plan. Compare that with the Leader of the Opposition with his $350 billion in secret cuts that he won't tell anyone about until after the election—how convenient is that?—$600 billion for the nuclear fantasy and a $10 billion policy for long lunches, paid for by every working Australian. That is the contrast and that is the contest. I know those opposite don't like hearing about it. They're ashamed when it's put up like that. They don't like the fact that we've managed the economy in a much better and fairer way than they ever will. (Time expired)

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. Working households in Australia have seen their living costs increase by 19.4 per cent under your Labor government. The cost of food has increased by 14.3 per cent. The cost of housing has increased by 14.2 per cent. The costs of insurance and financial services have increased by nearly 96 per cent. When will Mr Albanese admit that he's done a terrible job of keeping costs under control for Australian families, and why does he continue to insult every electorate by attempting to convince Australians that they have never been better off?

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

Can I say, first, that the quote used is actually Mr Howard's quote—a Liberal prime minister's. We all remember that. Look, we are, as a government, absolutely focused on doing what we can to ease the cost-of-living pressures for Australians, and that puts us in a very different place to those opposite, who obviously have a range of other political agendas, but they don't include reducing the cost-of-living pressures for Australians.

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

Senator Ruston, you've asked the question.

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

When we came to government, inflation was high and rising, real wages were falling, living standards were declining and people were going backwards. That is what was occurring under them. Since we came to government, inflation is down, wages are up and unemployment is down. We've seen inflation at almost a third of what it was at the election and falling. We've seen real wages growing again, living standards rising and the lowest average unemployment rate for any government in 50 years. We've seen the creation of more than 1.1 million jobs. It is the case that Australians are doing it tough, but what they have is a government that wants Australians to earn more and keep more of what they earn.

The alternative of course is a party that wants taxpayers to pick up a $10 billion tab for the boss's lunch. Instead of fee-free TAFE, they want free lunches. Fee-free TAFE—'No, we don't want that,' they say. 'We want free lunches.' I mean, for $10 billion you can employ 5.6 million people more in free TAFE. We could triple the HECS debt relief we delivered for three million Australians. It is three times more than the cost of the energy bill relief, which is saving households $300 a year and $325 for small businesses. Now, this gives you a sense of the priorities of Mr Dutton and those opposite.

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

Senator Hume, your constant commentary is disrespectful. I have called you to order at least half a dozen times. You are disrespecting me. Come to order when you are asked to come to order, and stop the running commentary. Senator Ruston, first supplementary?

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The average Australian family with a typical mortgage has paid an extra $50,000 in interest repayments under the Albanese government after 12 interest rate rises. Will Mr Albanese apologise to these families for his failure to lower interest rates, and for breaking his promise that they would be better off under Labor?

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

What we know is they would be worse off under Mr Dutton, and there are so many ways in which we know that. We know that because, for the cost-of-living relief that has been put in place by this government, every single measure was opposed by those opposite. We also know, out of Mr Dutton's own mouth, that he wants to cut. He wants to make sure he cuts. 'There is wasteful spending of over $350 billion in the federal budget.' But do you know what he won't do? He won't tell Australians what he is going to cut. He wants to go into an election saying: 'Yes, I am going to cut at least $350 billion. Oh, by the way, I have $600 billion to pay for my nuclear fantasy as well. I am going to do that, but we are actually about you. We just won't tell you which of your Medicare services, which of your hospitals, which of your childcare services we are going to cut.'

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

Senator Davey! Order! Senators, if I call another senator—just because I have not called your name, it is not an open slather for you to then interject. You should also get the message that I am calling for order. Senator Ruston, second supplementary?

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Families are paying $1,000 more per year for their electricity under Mr Albanese, and his only solution seems to be to run ridiculous antinuclear scare campaign involving three-eyed fish cartoons, forgetting that nearly all advanced economies in the world use or are pursuing nuclear energy. Why won't Mr Albanese take the increase of energy costs under his government seriously and admit he has broken a promise that Australians would be $275 better off under Labor?

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

Well, I look forward to you admitting, Senator Ruston, that your policy will cost around $600 billion. I look forward to you admitting it will take 20 years to even start delivering. I look forward to you admitting that even then it would only deliver four per cent of the grid. And I look forward to you admitting that it will push power prices up by $1,200. Now, we look forward to the coalition coming clean on all of this and the rest of their secret cuts. But, in the meantime, what this government will continue to do is what we have been doing, which is to work to bring inflation down, to work to ensure that we provide assistance to help with the cost of living and to work to ensure that wages keep rising. In doing that, we will continue to be opposed, as we always have been, by the coalition, who have always wanted lower wages for working people.