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 Treasurer, Senator Gallagher. After three years of Labor, Australians are poorer. Because of Labor's failed policies, Australians have experienced the biggest drop in living standards in decades. Real household disposable income—

Government Senators:

Government senators interjecting—

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

Senator Hume, please resume your seat. Senator Hume has the right to be heard in silence, and that is what I expect. Senator Hume, please continue.

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The shadow minister for train wrecking!

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

After three years of Labor—

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

Senator Hume, resume your seat. It is absolutely inappropriate that the moment after I called for silence you called out, Senator Ayres. Please continue, Senator Hume.

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

After three years of Labor, Australians are poorer because of Labor's failed policies. Australians have experienced the largest drop in living standards in decades. Real household disposable income has collapsed by eight per cent. The average family with a mortgage is now $50,000 worse off since you came to government. Why is it that the only solution you can offer is a cruel hoax equalling 70c a day in a year's time that will do nothing to restore the living standards that Australians have lost?

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

I thank Senator Hume for the question. I stand so proudly here to back the speech of the Treasurer last night and the work that's been done throughout the entire caucus focused on making sure we can provide cost-of-living help to households while they need it and that we're able to deliver budget repair—two surpluses, remember that, Senator Hume; I know you'd like to gloss over it—and also look to the future. I know you want to ignore the fact that this budget sees the biggest nominal improvement in a budget in a first term of any government ever. That's $207 billion lower debt in the order of $177 billion.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A trillion dollars!

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

Well, thank you. I'll take the interjection from Senator Cash, who forecast a trillion dollars of debt in their budget. We are at $940 billion, and it is lower—$177 billion lower. But, importantly, we can see the choice that is on the table for Australians in this election. Those opposite are confused, leaking against each other, and don't actually know what they stand for, voting against tax cuts to top-up those important tax cuts they wanted to call an election on in July last year. Remember that? They hated those tax cuts so much that they wanted to call an election on them, and then they realised that households actually like them and welcome them, and then they went, 'Oh, alright, okay; well, we'll let that one through.' Now they're voting against our top-up tax cuts this time: cost-of-living relief, working hand in hand with tax cuts; Medicare; cheaper medicines; and energy bill relief. All of that is designed to help households deal with some of the pressure they've been under. (Time expired)

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Senator Hume, I have not called you. Senators, it stands to reason that, if I ask for silence when a question is asked, I expect silence when the question is answered. Senator Hume, first supplementary?

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

() (): Labor promised to reduce energy bills by $275, but, after three years of Labor, the price of gas is up 34 per cent and electricity is up 32 per cent. Labor promised to build 30,000 affordable homes, but have delivered none, and housing costs are up by 14 per cent. Bulk-billing rates have collapsed across the country, but health costs are up 10 per cent. At a time when Australians need a back-to-basics budget to set them up for the next five years, what's the best you can offer them? The price of a cup of coffee a week. Is that good enough? (Time expired)

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

():  We know what those opposite's back-to-basics budgeting implies. It implies $350 billion worth of cuts—cuts to Medicare, cuts to education and no support for households so that they can build their seven nuclear reactors around the country at a cost of $600 billion for 20 years time.

We on this side know what we're doing. We're accountable. It's there in the budget: cost-of-living relief to households; tax cuts for every worker, to build on the tax cuts we gave last year; and budget repair so we can invest in the industries and jobs of the future. We've got inflation coming down, wages going up, unemployment low and interest rates being cut. Inflation is back in the band. This is all contained in the responsible budget handed down by the Albanese Labor government, and those opposite are in disarray. They don't know what they stand for other than to vote against tax— (Time expired)

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

Senator Hume, second supplementary?

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

The budget confirms that our economy will grower slower due to Labor's anaemic productivity. It confirms more than $425 billion of additional spending under this government, and it confirms a trillion dollars of Labor debt. Australians know they cannot afford three more years of Labor. Minister, Australians needed a budget to get Australia back on track. Is this really the best you can come up with?

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

I think Australians are increasingly becoming aware of what going backwards under you lot looks like. It means cuts to Medicare, cuts to pensions, slashes to public services and cuts to the NDIS—all those services that people rely on. What they need is responsible government, coherent policy looking to the future—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Minister, resume your seat. Order! The running commentary needs to stop. You are all out of order.

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

There's a real contrast between what we are proposing and putting forward to the Australian people and what those opposite are. Those opposite want to cut in order to pay for their nuclear power stations that sometime in the future might provide four per cent of energy into the grid, whilst we're getting on with delivering a renewable energy future, the jobs of the future, investment in our people and cost-of-living help for every household that needs it. The budget is in better shape than what we inherited, and we know what the offer is from the other side: cuts to everything except what you pay in tax. (Time expired)

Jess Walsh (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Finance, Senator Gallagher. Last night the Treasurer handed down the fourth budget of the Albanese Labor government. The budget helps with the cost of living and builds Australia's future. How has the Albanese Labor government provided cost-of-living relief while delivering the biggest improvement to the bottom line in a single parliamentary term?

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

Thank you very much, Senator Walsh, for the question. I appreciate it. And I look forward to appearing before your committee as you go through the budget in the estimates process.

Our responsible budget helps Australians now and builds Australians' future by delivering cost-of-living relief, a new tax cut for every taxpayer, energy bill relief for every household, and cheaper medicines and by backing in higher wages. We're also strengthening Medicare with more bulk-billing and more urgent care clinics. We're making it easier to buy and rent a home, with an expansion of our Help to Buy scheme, and we're training more construction workers. We're investing in every single stage of education—I know that's something that those on this side have campaigned for, in many instances, including from Senator Walsh's point of view, for careers—including a 20 per cent cut to student debt. We're putting all public schools in Australia on a path to fair and full funding and we're investing in early education and care.

We're building a stronger economy, with $3 billion for green metals. There are competition reforms, supports for small businesses and infrastructure investments. We're providing relief and investing in the future while delivering the biggest single improvement to the bottom line in one parliamentary term. I know you don't like that, but they are the facts.

The measures in this budget combined with the cost-of-living relief we have delivered for Australians over the life of this parliamentary term will make a meaningful difference to households. On this side of the parliament we have understood that the government should respond when people are doing it tough and find ways to help households. Despite those opposite consistently voting against cost-of-living relief for Australians, we have taken every opportunity to help out Australian families with pressure when they're facing it. The choice couldn't be clearer. A Labor government will deliver tax cuts. A Liberal government will deliver to cuts to programs and services that Australians need. (Time expired)

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

Senator Walsh, first supplementary?

Jess Walsh (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Under Labor, inflation is down, incomes are strengthening, unemployment is very low, interest rates are coming down, and now growth is rebounding solidly as well. How will Labor's responsible economic management benefit all Australians?

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

I appreciate the supplementary question. The budget sees the continuation of Labor's commitment to responsible economic management. Inflation and interest rates are coming down, incomes are strengthening and unemployment is low. We have demonstrated that you can fight inflation and keep people in work, keep people in jobs, and everyone in this chamber should appreciate that.

This doesn't just happen by chance. It's the result of the hard work of Australians and careful decision-making by the Albanese Labor government. We've delivered two surpluses—something the previous government was never able to achieve, despite having the mugs printed. We have reduced Liberal debt—a trillion dollars in Liberal debt that we inherited, $177 billion lower—avoiding $60 billion in interest costs. We've delivered savings and we've delivered an improved budget bottom line across the forward estimates. (Time expired)

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

Senator Walsh, second supplementary.

Jess Walsh (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Under Mr Dutton, the opposition has immediately rejected Labor's tax cuts—another reckless decision in a long line of blocking cost-of-living relief for Australians. How will the Albanese Labor government protect important Labor policies that are helping Australians with cost-of-living challenges?

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

Thank you for the supplementary question, Senator Walsh. We know that, in order to pay for the $600 billion nuclear fantasy, Mr Dutton will cut absolutely everything except your taxes. That's what we've learnt today. In order to pay for his $600 billion nuclear fantasy of building nuclear reactors around Australia, he will cut services, he will cut programs, but he will never cut your taxes.

The coalition have consistently, in this term—and we will hold you to account for this—voted against every cost-of-living measure we have brought to the parliament. Now we know, and we saw it this morning, that they will oppose tax cuts for every Australian taxpayer—not just once in a parliamentary term, but twice. That is what we are seeing from those opposite: no plan, no idea, no strategy. It's us who will look after people, not them. (Time expired)