House debates

Thursday, 4 July 2019

Questions without Notice

Economy

2:04 pm

Photo of Anthony AlbaneseAnthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Prime Minister. Which of his policies on wages, consumer demand, interest rates and productivity is working the best?

Photo of Scott MorrisonScott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

All of them, and all working together—and all were endorsed by the Australian people at the last election for the economic plan that we took to this country to address the serious economic challenges that the country faces. And I can tell you the biggest risk to the domestic economy in this country that presented itself this year was relegated at the last election, with the defeat of the Labor Party. This was a Labor Party that, at the last election, achieved—

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting

Photo of Tony SmithTony Smith (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Members on both sides will cease interjecting. The member for Isaacs has unfortunately picked up where he left off in the last parliament, and he is already warned. I can assure him that, when I do that, there's enormous relief in the chamber. The Leader of the Opposition on a point of order?

Photo of Anthony AlbaneseAnthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, as you'll appreciate increasingly as time goes on, there was no preamble, no rhetoric, just a simple question: which of the economic indicators does the Prime Minister think is working the best?

Photo of Tony SmithTony Smith (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

I take the point. It was a question without a preamble and it mentioned four topics. I'm going to keep listening to the Prime Minister. I've taken the point of order.

Photo of Scott MorrisonScott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

He may not have heard my answer to the question, Mr Speaker. I said: all of them. But the issue that this government is most focused on, above all things, is the creation of jobs. Jobs—that is the focus of our government; that is the focus of our economic plan. That includes providing tax relief for Australians, which has been through this House and will go through the other house later in this day. I'm pleased that the more than 60,000 people that live in the opposition leader's electorate will be benefiting from our tax cuts, legislated today. They will benefit the members in his electorate as they will indeed benefit the members of all electorates in this place. We went to this election on the platform of ensuring that Australians keep more of what they earn, and our duty in this parliament is to ensure that we keep faith with those Australians who work hard, with those businesses who invest to create those jobs, with those Australians who each and every day go about their business to make this country stronger.

Photo of Tony SmithTony Smith (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The Prime Minister can resume his seat for a second. The Manager of Opposition Business can just pause for a second. The question was specific. The Prime Minister is entitled to compare and contrast on policy, briefly, but not to then move on to another topic. He's entitled to compare and contrast and mention tax policy, but I think he's now done that. Has the Prime Minister completed his answer? He's completed his answer.