Libby Coker (Corangamite, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister said he would deliver higher real wages, but petrol prices have gone up as much as $900 in a year while real wages have fallen by $700. Will the Prime Minister finally acknowledge how hard it is for working families to make ends meet under his decade-old government?

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member raises questions around the cost of living. In the three years since I was elected Prime Minister, inflation has grown by 1.8 per cent. That compares, in the last three years of the Labor government, to 2.5 per cent. Electricity prices have fallen on average each year by 3.2 per cent, and, under Labor in their last three years, they increased each year by 12.2 per cent. And, over the course of their government, electricity prices doubled because of their mismanagement.

Clothing and footwear costs over the course of last three years have fallen by one per cent on average each year, compared to a 0.4 per cent increase under the Labor Party in their last three years. Fuel prices over the last three years have increased by 1.2 per cent per year—

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Hotham is warned.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

over the last three years. And, under the Labor Party in their last three years, they increased by 7.2 per cent. Each and every year of those last three years—

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Moreton will leave under 94(a).

The member for Moreton then left the chamber.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On communications costs: under our government, since I was elected three years ago, they have fallen 2.8 per cent each and every year on average, and, under the Labor Party, they went up by 1.2 per cent over their last three years. Housing costs: as we know 320,000 Australians were helped into homeownership because of the policies of our government, but, not only that, housing costs over the last three years since I was elected Prime Minister are up 0.6 per cent on average each year.

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Hotham is warned.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Under the Labor Party, in their last three years, they went up by 4.3 per cent each and every year—

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Kingsford Smith will leave under 94(a).

The member for Kingsford Smith then left the chamber.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

some seven times higher than what has occurred under our government. And health costs: they've gone up three per cent per year each year on average over the last three years. Under the Labor Party they went up five per cent each year and every year.

What the Australian people know, regardless of the challenges that we face as a country for our economy and what it means for cost of living and what they can earn, is two things: (1) our strong economic management will always ensure that Australians will be better off than they would under the Labor Party; and (2) they'll be able to keep more of what they earn, because we believe that Australians and Australian business owners should keep more of what they earn, because if they give it to the Labor Party they know they'll only waste it.