Melissa McIntosh (Lindsay, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer remind the House how the Morrison government's strong and principled economic management is driving unemployment to its lowest level in 13 years and how we plan to generate even more jobs for Australian families and businesses into the future? Is the Treasurer aware of any alternative policies?

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

I thank the member for Lindsay for her question. I had the opportunity to join her recently in her electorate and visit an earthmoving business that was investing in new equipment by using our immediate expensing provisions.

When the coalition came to government, the unemployment rate was 5.7 per cent and rising. When the coalition came to government, there were one million fewer women in work. And, when the coalition came to government, under Labor, one in eight manufacturing jobs were lost. Now, after the biggest economic shock since the Great Depression, the picture is very different. The unemployment rate, at 4.2 per cent, is at a 13-year low and is on track to being at a 50-year low. There are a record number of Australians in a trade apprenticeship. And there are 1.7 million more Australians in work today than when Labor was last in office. Our economic plan is working, investing in skills, lower taxes—

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

Member for Corangamite, if you want to keep interjecting, you'll be doing it from outside.

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

infrastructure, the digital economy and manufacturing. The member for Rankin said that the biggest test of the Morrison government's management of the pandemic will be what happens to jobs. It was a challenge we readily accepted, and it was a test the member for Rankin's colleagues wished he never set.

The Leader of the Opposition can't be trusted with the Australian economy. The Leader of the Opposition has never had a Treasury portfolio. The Leader of the Opposition said that our tax cuts for small business and families were for the top end of town. And the Leader of the Opposition has been in partnership with the Greens and, given the chance, would be in partnership again. The Leader of the Opposition, as a product of the unions, is too weak—

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

The Treasurer will resume his seat. The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on direct relevance: this is not relevant. He was invited to talk about other policies. This isn't a policy. This is just—

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

Gibberish.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Gibberish.

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

The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. The Treasurer is being directly relevant to the question. The Manager of Opposition Business?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So that we understand your ruling, Mr Speaker, does this mean that, if a question asks for alternative policies, any character assessment can be given, any political rant can be given, anything at all can now be said? Is that the new standard for this chamber? Because it's not a policy approach—

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

The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat.

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

The member for Shortland then left the chamber.

The Leader of the House.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That was a very good ruling, Mr Speaker, I might say. Mr Speaker, the way in which the Manager of Opposition Business firstly scoffed at your ruling, if I might say, and then the way in which he showed disrespect to the chair—I think his reflection on the chair, frankly, Mr Speaker, was out of order, first point. The second point is that the Treasurer was entirely within the standing orders, absolutely relevant to the question asked of him. The only aspect of inconvenience here was the proper character assessment from this guy, who has got a complete glass jaw.

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

The Leader of the House will resume his seat. To the point of order raised by the Manager of Opposition Business on relevance, the Treasurer was expressly asked in relation to economic management and driving unemployment. He was also asked about whether he was aware of any alternative policies. The Treasurer spoke for some time on economic management. He was not, in my view, attacking the Leader of the Opposition personally—

Hon ourable members interjecting—

The Treasurer is being directly relevant, and I give the Treasurer the call.

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

The Leader of the Opposition expressly supported $387 billion of higher taxes and, if given half a chance on the Treasury benches, he will put higher taxes on the Australian people. The Leader of the Opposition, a product of the unions, is too weak to stand up to the unions. The Leader of the Opposition—

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

The Leader of the Opposition on a point of order.

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

Mr Speaker, this is now putting you in an untenable situation. This is embarrassing. This has nothing to do with any policy. This is some rant about some alleged union I work for or something—I don't know what it is. But it's an attempted, personal, character assassination which has nothing to do with the question that was asked.

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

The Treasurer will return to the substance of—

Opposition members interjecting—

The Treasurer will return to the question.

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

The reality is, when it comes to economic management, the Leader of the Labor Party cannot be trusted. He stands for higher taxes. He stands for higher spending, like a $6 billion cash splash—

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

Mr Speaker—

Opposit ion members interjecting—

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

Mr Speaker, he just can't stand there.

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

The Leader of the Opposition—

The member for Rankin! I'd ask the Leader of the Opposition not to come to the dispatch box early if he's not making a point of order, please.

Government members interjecting—

The Leader of the Opposition has the call.