Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) | Hansard source

The problem with what the member for Barker said is simply that the coalition failed to deliver one surplus budget, despite having promised a surplus budget each and every year they were in office. They did not do it once. The biggest-spending government in the history of the Commonwealth of Australia was the Morrison coalition government. Since we've come to office, government debt is down $45 billion and the deficit is down $7.8 billion. We have delivered two budget surpluses. So don't listen to what they say, look at the record of the previous coalition governments. Look at their failure and look at how they have voted in the House of Representatives.

I'm sick and tired of the faux outrage from those opposite on cost-of-living relief when, in fact, they have opposed almost every single bill that the Albanese Labor government has brought into this House to assist people with the cost of living. Inflation was at 6.1 per cent under the previous coalition government, before we came to power, and going up. It is now down to 4.2 per cent. So look at the facts, not at what they say. Just because a coalition spokesperson at the dispatch box says something, it doesn't mean it's always true.

They opposed every minimum wage increase we supported. They opposed student debt reduction. They opposed free TAFE before the last election. And who can ever forget their former leader, the former member for Farrer, saying that, unless you actually pay for things, you don't appreciate them? They opposed every single bill we ever put into this House to provide energy bill relief for Australian consumers. They voted against every piece of legislation that we brought in to provide tax cuts. They opposed cheaper child care.

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