Anne Webster (Mallee, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Brendan Reinheimer and his wife are raising three children in Haven, in my electorate. They reached out to me recently in desperation, having learned that their new electricity charges will cost them an additional $970 over the next 12 months. Will this tricky Prime Minister now admit that Labor's pre-election promise to cut household energy bills by $275 will never be met?

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm going to ask the member to withdraw that part of the question.

Anne Webster (Mallee, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for withdrawing that.

Rick Wilson (O'Connor, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's a simple question; you told them they were going to get a $275 rebate.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for O'Connor is warned.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her question, which is about Brendan. I hope that the member for Mallee told Brendan that she voted against the $3 billion of assistance to households. We know that the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as well as supply chain shortages, has had an impact on global inflation. That would appear to be news to those opposite—that global inflation has occurred—but one of the positive things that has happened, as the Treasurer said about the decision of the Reserve Bank today, is in the context of a government that's been determined to get on top of the inflation challenge by providing cost-of-living relief without putting further pressure on inflation. That has been our objective, which is why, instead of a cash stimulus, we designed a scheme together with the New South Wales government and the Queensland government, specifically, with the measures that they had to take. In New South Wales, the coalition government brought the parliament back for special legislation to deal with this.

Those opposite—the shadow Treasurer—criticise the Perrottet government for the action that they took in concert with us. We don't. No wonder they have pre-selection problems in the New South Wales branch over there, with the chaos and dysfunction which is there. We'll continue to do what we can to address cost-of-living pressures, but we will do so in a way that does not put pressure on inflation. That is the right thing to do. I just hope that the next time the member for Mallee has the opportunity to actually vote for some support and relief for people she does the right thing and actually votes for it.