House debates Questions without Notice

Economy

Wednesday, 3 June 2026 House of Representatives

Angus Taylor

Angus Taylor Hume, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition

2:06 pm

My question is to the Prime Minister. Today's national accounts show that GDP per person went backwards in the March quarter for the 10th time out of 15 quarters under Labor. On Labor's watch, more than 1.4 million migrants have arrived in Australia. Prime Minister, why is out-of-control migration your only strategy to achieve economic growth?

Anthony Albanese

Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister

2:07 pm

I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. When I spoke with Prime Minister Wale earlier today, I said that our parliament can often be a bit robust. It began well, and it's headed downhill pretty quickly.

Darren Chester

Darren Chester Gippsland, National Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans’ Affairs

Like the Australian economy!

Anthony Albanese

Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister

The Australian economy is growing. Fun fact—it grew by 0.3 per cent in the March quarter to be 2.5 per cent higher during the year under the circumstances of what is happening. In the March quarter, there was this event on 28 February. There was this little event that they say is an excuse. This is a mob who earlier on in 90-second statements also criticised the work that we had done on fuel security. There is no country you would rather be than Australia, particularly if you talk to people in our region about what is happening, countries in our region where they have compulsory public holidays once a week because there isn't enough fuel. What we have managed to do is secure more fuel in Australia than there was on 28 February. We've been able to do that in spite of the fact that the Leader of the Opposition actually ridiculed and criticised us for going to Singapore, for going to Brunei, for going to Malaysia—

Milton Dick

Milton Dick Speaker

The Prime Minister will pause for a moment, and I'll hear from the Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order.

Dan Tehan

Dan Tehan Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction

It goes to direct relevance. The question was about out-of-control migration and anaemic economic growth. Will you please come back to it?

Milton Dick

Milton Dick Speaker

The question also included the growth figures of today and then the question of immigration and why out-of-control migration is the only strategy to achieve growth. I think the Prime Minister is saying that is not accurate, so he is being directly relevant. It's a pretty broad question, covering a number of topics.

An opposition member interjecting

Anthony Albanese

Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister

I take the interjection, which actually just said 'nothing about fuel security', as if what is happening in the global economy has nothing to do with an impact here. We have received 2.5 per cent annual growth, which under the circumstances of the pressures that are on—and the leader of the 'Liberal One National party' over there comes in here in spite of the fact that they know that the migration rate has fallen by 45 per cent. What they do is come in here, pretend that we're immune from a global impact of a global war order.

Honourable members interjecting

Milton Dick

Milton Dick Speaker

Order! There were way too many interjections during that, the member for Casey, the member for Bowman, the member for Barker, the member for Herbert. We're just going to reset. When the House comes to order—

When the member for Herbert ceases, we will hear the question.