Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. Can the current Treasurer name any other Treasurer in the last 100 years that has a worse record than him on waste, rorts, debt, deficits, annual growth and real wages?

Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll tell you what I'm very proud of. After the first recession in nearly 30 years, unemployment today is lower than it was under Labor. The fact that today we have trade apprentices in the highest number on record, the fact today that—oh, no!

Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a point of order?

Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The point of order is on relevance. The question was has there been a bigger disaster of a Treasurer than him, and the answer is no.

Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Rankin may not like the answer, but it was answered in such a way that you asked for whether there was a worse record on waste, so the Treasurer has the call.

Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today we've seen first home buyers in the market—

Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Wills is warned!

Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

in the highest numbers in more than a decade. Today we have seen, as a result of programs like JobKeeper, more than 700,000 jobs saved. Today we have more women in the Australian workforce than under Labor. Today the gender pay gap is narrower than it was under Labor. In the last three months we have seen more than $10 billion in tax relief to more than 11 million Australians. As a result of policies supported by those on this side of the House, an Australian who's on $60,000 a year is $6,480 better off. And, as a result of the business investment incentives—the biggest on record—that we put in recent budgets, we have seen investment in machinery and equipment more than 20 per cent higher. That's the strongest growth in machinery and equipment investment in more than 20 years. Small businesses—we have seen the company tax rate for small businesses come down to 25 per cent, the lowest in 50 years. We have seen small and medium-sized businesses create 600,000 jobs between April last year and September this year—that's 1,300 jobs a day—from policies under this side of the House. Now, I'll tell you of one Treasurer who didn't do as well as that, and that was former member for Lilley Wayne Swan, because the member for Rankin learnt at his footsteps. And the member for Lilley said, after the train wreck of the last election—$387 million—

Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Cooper is warned!

Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

of higher taxes—that the Labor Party should not resile from those tax hikes. And you know who was the architect of those higher taxes? The member for Rankin. Sneaky, sneaky, sneaky—because, when they get another chance on the Treasury benches, they're only going to do one thing; they're going to hit Australians with higher taxes.