David Batt (Hinkler, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. In my electorate of Hinkler, demand for emergency relief is skyrocketing. The Hervey Bay Neighbourhood Centre usually serves 80 meals to those in need every Wednesday night. That has now increased to 120. Most of those meals are for children. Does the Prime Minister accept responsibility for the impacts his decisions are having on Australia's lower living standards?

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

I thank the member for Hinkler for his question. What I of course accept responsibility for are the policies of this government. I accept responsibility for the fact that, since 1 July, we've delivered a pay rise for all minimum- and award-wage workers, taking the total increase to over $9,000 since Labor were elected. I accept responsibility for the fact that we've increased the superannuation guarantee to 12 per cent. I accept responsibility for the fact that paid parental leave has been expanded from 24 weeks—it'll be coming to 26 weeks—and that super is now being paid on paid parental leave, something that the shadow Treasurer has had some really interesting things to say about.

I take responsibility for the fact that those constituents would have received energy bill relief and that, if they are studying, they would have got the cut to student debt—an average of $5,500. If they're going to TAFE or their children are going to TAFE, they could be one of the 725,000 Australians who've done that. There's the $10,000 bonus for housing apprentices as well. They would have benefited from the fact that, if they or someone in their family has a health issue—

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

Order! Sorry, I was talking to the member for Goldstein. The Prime Minister will just pause. He was asked a question. Order! I don't need to be pointed at. I don't know who you're pointing to. The Prime Minister is going to pause so I can hear the member for Page on a point of order.

Kevin Hogan (Page, National Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The point of order is on 104(a). The question was directly related to the demand for emergency relief skyrocketing.

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

Resume your seat. That is not a point of order. The Prime Minister was asked whether he accepts responsibility for the impact of his government, and he's using the words 'what I take responsibility for' and outlining the impact of his government. So, if you ask a question about that—about the impact of his government—he's obviously going to talk about the impact that he believes that the government has had. So no more frivolous points of order.

Honourable members interjecting—

Order! We've had one point of order. I'll hear from the Manager of the Opposition because of his position.

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll just wait for the Prime Minister.

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

State the point of order or resume your seat. Let's get through this.

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Gippsland raised a very good point of order yesterday about—

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

What's the point of order?

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

how, when we take a point of order, the speaker should be sitting down so we can make the point of order.

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

I explained to the House that the member for Goldstein had my attention. That's why I was missing things. So if everyone could just do things in an orderly way—and I apologise to the member for Page that I didn't see him, but I was dealing with another matter for the member for Goldstein. The point of order has been made. I will remind all members to follow the standing orders. The member for Hinkler has asked his question. We've had the point of order. The Prime Minister's being directly relevant.

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

They've also got to be on the TV, and I congratulate them for that—small mercies! What the member mightn't know because he's new here is that those opposite cut $20 million from emergency relief that we had to put back. So we put it back. We put back the $20 million they took out. That's typical of what's occurred. If they continue to ask questions like that, then we'll continue to take advantage in answering them. On emergency relief, you cut and we put money back. It's as simple as that. It's not that hard to get on top of. But the truth, as well, is that the range of measures that we have put in place—including 1800MEDICARE, including the education measures, including all of this support—make a difference for people, and all of them are opposed by those opposite, who just want to tear each other down and talk Australia down.