House debates Questions without Notice

Cost of Living

Wednesday, 26 March 2025 House of Representatives

Kevin Hogan

Kevin Hogan Page, National Party, Shadow Minister for Trade and Tourism

2:26 pm

My question's to the Treasurer. Under the Albanese Labor government, the cost of groceries has now increased by 30 per cent. This means, for the average family, they are around $3,000 a year worse off. How will 70 cents a day in 15 months time help cash strapped families like these, which are paying thousands of dollars more at the checkout?

Jim Chalmers

Jim Chalmers Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer

It will help them, with their combined tax cut of $50 a week, with the cost of living. If the honourable member really cared about the cost-of-living pressures that people are confronting, he would have voted for tax cuts. The consequence of the position that the shadow Treasurer talked the honourable member into is that a Liberal Party came in here, given the opportunity to vote for lower income taxes, and instead voted for higher income taxes. That's why I'm told that there's a bit of chirp on the back bench, because people don't think this is a good idea. And we don't think it's a good idea either. We think—

Milton Dick

Milton Dick Speaker

The Treasurer will pause.

Has the Treasurer completed his answer? Yes.