Aaron Violi (Casey, Liberal Party) | Hansard source

Member for Moreton, I have a good solution for you: appoint a minister for the digital economy, because the digital economy drives productivity. There is a solution for you. Thank you very much for that introduction, member for Moreton.

If we had a minister for the digital economy, that would drive costs down for business. It's not just me saying that. The Productivity Commission have also noted in their five-year report the importance of technology in driving productivity growth. Those opposite wouldn't be aware of that, because the Prime Minister, the Treasurer and those opposite haven't even bothered to get a briefing on the report from the Productivity Commission. We hear the standard talking points about investing in child care—absolutely!—although, interestingly, they call it a cheaper childcare policy. But that policy is not working, because fees have gone up greater than the subsidy because there's been no investment in supply—in increasing the places that are available. So while the name of the bill is very impressive—Labor can always name great bills—out in the community, people are still paying more for their child care. The member for Moreton should talk to some of the families in his community about it. So there's just one initiative: a minister for the digital economy.

This motion is really important, because productivity is a key economic driver to improve the cost of living. I recently attended a forum with Senator Jane Hume, the Chair of the Senate Select Committee on the Cost of Living. We heard, and many members would know, the terrible stories of families and businesses struggling. We need to make sure that we do have positive solutions to drive down these challenges around the cost of living, inflation and wages. Again, we hear those opposite talk a lot about real wages. What they don't talk about is the fact that real wages are going backwards under this government. The real disposable income per hour worked has fallen by 10 per cent over the last year. So every Australian out there working every day to earn a dollar is getting less every day and every hour under this government. During the campaign, they spoke a lot about real wages and about how important real wages are—because, at the end of the day, that's what matters: what you've got at home and what you can afford to spend. But we don't hear this government talk about real wages anymore, because it's going backwards under this government.

In the RBA minutes from the last meeting, total real household income declined by four per cent in the March quarter. Australians are struggling. The economic crisis we face is the biggest challenge we face as Australians. Everyone should know that. You would think that the Prime Minister, the leader of this country, would have an interest in the economy and in how to provide some solutions to this. You would think that the Prime Minister would be getting monthly or, at least, quarterly briefings from our most senior economic adviser, Dr Steven Kennedy, the Secretary of the Department of the Treasury, about the economy and the solutions to make it easier for Australians. But we are wrong—not monthly, not quarter, not once. Not once in the last 12 months has this Prime Minister received a briefing on the economy from the most senior economic adviser in the Public Service. What does that tell you about this government and its priorities? Don't listen to what they say; listen to what they do.

Every Australian is struggling to put food on the table. I speak to small businesses in my community every day. Every week their costs are going up and their revenues are going down, and this Prime Minister does not care. If he cared, he would be getting briefings from the department on how to solve these problems. He doesn't care about the economic challenges we face. We have a Treasurer with a PhD in politics who is more concerned about making sure he gets the support of the backbench for his next step to his prime ministerial ambitions than he does about taking the tough decisions that Australians need to drive productivity. This government is not prepared to make these decisions, and it's Australians that suffer. I have a letter here from Beau, who is from Menzies Creek Primary School. I went to see them last week. Beau wrote me a letter about the cost-of-living crisis. That's how important it is to Australians but not to this Prime Minister.

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