House debates

Monday, 7 November 2022

Questions without Notice

Cost of Living

2:17 pm

Photo of Sussan LeySussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to this, the front page of the Australian on 2 May—

Photo of Milton DickMilton Dick (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will resume her seat. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition knows my position on props.

The member for Longman! I'll ask the Deputy Leader of the Opposition to begin her question again—without the use of a prop.

Photo of Sussan LeySussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister, and I refer the Prime Minister to the front page of the Australian on 2 May this year, titled 'Life will be "cheaper" under me', where the Prime Minister said: 'Labor has real, lasting plans for cheaper electricity and cheaper mortgages.'

Given that the budget confirmed power prices will rise 56 per cent and that interest rates have already gone up six times since the election, how can the Prime Minister seriously suggest that life is cheaper under Labor? Why won't he say sorry for yet another broken promise?

Photo of Milton DickMilton Dick (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will resume her seat. I specifically asked the Deputy Leader of the Opposition not to use a prop. If she does that again, she'll be asked to leave the House; I can't be clearer than that. That goes for every member in the House.

Opposition members interjecting

Nice try. I give the call to the Prime Minister.

2:18 pm

Photo of Anthony AlbaneseAnthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

I always read the front page of the Australian, Mr Speaker, so I did read that; I read the front page of every newspaper in this country to try to keep on top of where things are. A couple weeks later, in May, the first interest rate increase by the Reserve Bank occurred—on their watch. I thought they were in government at that point in time. But what we also know is that there was scheduled to be an increase in wholesale energy prices at the same time.

But I didn't get to read about that on the front page of the Australian. I didn't get to read about it, and I wonder why that is the case because it was scheduled to occur during the campaign, just like the interest rate increase occurred during the campaign. We knew about one, but we didn't know about the other. We didn't know about the other because someone—

Photo of Ms Catherine KingMs Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | | Hansard source

Who? Who was it?

Photo of Anthony AlbaneseAnthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

someone introduced—actually introduced—a change in the law so that people couldn't know that there was this wholesale price increase scheduled to occur. What date did they pick? The election was on 21 May, so do you think they picked a day before 21 May or after 21 May? Hands up those who think they picked a day after! You are all right. They picked a day after because they were not transparent. They were not transparent about what they had intended as a result of this.

Honourable members interjecting

Photo of Milton DickMilton Dick (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Has the Prime Minister concluded his answer? Order! When the House comes to order, I'd like to hear the member for Chisholm.