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

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. Prior to the election Prime Minister Albanese said, 'I'll say this very clearly: families will be better off under a Labor government.' This is the reality for Australian families under the Albanese Labor government: food is up 13.3 per cent; housing is up 14.5 per cent; rents are up 18 per cent; electricity without government rebates is up 32.3 per cent; and gas is up 34.2 per cent. That is the reality that Australian families are living. Does the Prime Minister seriously believe that his cruel hoax of a 70-cents-a-day tax cut in 15 months time will do anything to help Australian families with the skyrocketing cost-of-living crisis that the Albanese government alone has created?

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

Isn't it passing strange to be asked about the cost of living by somebody who's opposing more cost-of-living relief and by a party that has stood in the way of cost-of-living relief for working Australians time and time again? It's the party that voted against energy bill relief. It's the party that stood in the way of tax relief. It's the party that wanted more expensive medicines. The party that have consistently voted and argued against cost-of-living relief for working Australians now want to talk about cost-of-living relief when they're standing in the way of yet another round of cost-of living-relief. Really, you could not script this stuff, could you?

The reality, Senator Cash, is that you and the coalition have stood against cost-of-living relief and tax relief that has been put forward by this government time and time again, and now you are again telling Australians that they don't deserve a tax cut. You want to cut everything but Australians' taxes. I would remind those opposite that the inflation rate is almost a third of what it was at the election. I would remind those opposite that real wages are growing again. I know that Senator Cash is one of those who believe that lower wages are better for the economy. We do not share that view. We think people should earn more and keep more of what they earn. We've seen the lowest average unemployment rate for any government in 50 years and we've seen over 1.1 million jobs created.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Senator Cash, this is our economic record. Yours is opposition to all cost-of-living relief, including opposition to tax cuts. But what we do know is you have to find billions of dollars of cuts—$600 billion at least—to fund a risky nuclear scheme. You cut everything but— (Time expired)

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

Senator McKenzie and Senator McGrath, I don't know what else I can say to you to get you to stop interjecting. The running monologue is incredibly disrespectful. Senator Cash, first supplementary?

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

Minister, a constituent recently said, 'The Albanese Labor government keeps telling Australians just how good they've got it, and yet every time I go into the shops a block of cheese still costs me $11. That's my reality,' she said, 'at the checkout.' How will 70c a day in 15 months time help families that are paying thousands of dollars more at the checkout because of the Albanese Government's cost-of-living crisis?

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

What I would say to your constituent is we absolutely understand that people are facing cost-of-living pressures, and that is why we have been seeking to provide cost-of-living relief as we are able to. It is disappointing that the alternative government is refusing to support it, so I would invite you, Senator Cash, to tell that constituent that you stood in the way of the first round of tax cuts. I would invite you to tell that constituent you stood in the way, not once but twice—and now will be a third time—of energy bill relief for her and her family. I would invite you to tell that constituent that you believe she should pay more for medicines. I would invite you to tell her that you don't think she should have additional tax cuts that the government has put forward.

The reality is, Senator Cash, some of us are trying to do something about cost-of-living pressures. Others are not, and what we have seen— (Time expired)

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

Senator Cash, second supplementary?

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

Can the Prime Minister confirm his government owns one of the biggest crashes in government finances in history, from a surplus last year to a $43 billion deficit next year and a record debt of more than $1 trillion next year? Given this sea of deficits in the future and an intensifying cost-of-living crisis, how can Australians possibly afford another three years of Labor?

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

The answer is no. Debt is $177 billion lower in 2024-25 than under you, full stop.

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

Order! Senator Ruston, we have moved on, and I am waiting to call Senator Thorpe.