House debates Questions without Notice
Chalmers, Hon. Dr Jim
Henry Pike Bowman, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health
3:06 pm
My question is to the Prime Minister. This treasurer has spent $120 billion more than he has saved, fuelling inflation and driving up mortgage repayments by more than $30,000 per year. On the Inside Politics podcast, the Treasurer said:
… for people who think we should cut much harder, they should nominate, I think, those areas that should be cut more substantially.
Prime Minister, by his own admission, this Treasurer is out of touch and out of ideas. When are you going to give the member for Parramatta a go?
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister
3:07 pm
On a day when this side of the House has raised inflation figures that came up today, the free trade agreement, the digital duty of care—I don't know what went on in their tactics room, but it is hard to take an alternative government seriously when the sort of questions that are asked go to a golf club. When it's called 'Royal Marrickville Golf Club', it's irony because it's actually this working class club. Sledges across the chamber, rather than serious questions about the economy—I'll tell you who takes the economy seriously. It's this treasurer.
Under this treasurer, average real annual spending growth is 1.5 per cent over the eight years to 2029-30, less than half the 30-year average and less than half of what it was under the former coalition government. This treasurer produced back-to-back surpluses. This treasurer returned 75 per cent of revenue upgrades to the bottom line. He's one of only nine treasurers or finance ministers around the world that have a AAA credit rating from all of the agencies. Under this treasurer, debt in 2025-26 is nearly $198 billion lower.
Milton Dick Speaker
The Leader of the Opposition is going to stop yelling.
Order! You're going to stop yelling at me, or you'll be warned and you won't be here. This yelling is completely unacceptable. No Leader of the Opposition has behaved like that. The Prime Minister can assist by lowering the temperature as well with the language being used.
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Hon. Members:
Honourable members interjecting—
Milton Dick Speaker
Order! Everyone needs to—order! The volume of noise is too great. I'm just asking everyone to rise to this challenge. It's not business as usual. The Prime Minister, in continuation.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister
Under this treasurer, debt in 2025-26 is $198 billion lower than forecasted at the 2022 election, saving around, under this treasurer, $70 billion in interest costs over the decade. This is a treasurer who takes his responsibilities on the economy seriously, and it is hard to take those opposite seriously, given their performance today.