Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Well, what a lot of codswallop we have here from the opposition this afternoon. In taking note of the minister's answer to the question of what this government is doing in relation to inflation—on small business—we have seen, from the former government's own contribution to this debate, an absolute reflection of the fact that they were missing in action on all of these issues while in government themselves.

As Senator Gallagher clearly outlined in the government's response, we are moving on past that wasted decade to absolutely get on with addressing this cost-of-living crisis. We had a wasted decade in relation to not having an energy policy for 10 years. That is 22 failed policies under the former government. That is what small business has told us. It has had real inflationary consequences, because of their lack of capacity to invest with certainty in strategic direction.

We are also dealing with the cost-of-living crisis by making submissions to the Fair Work Commission to ensure that those on the minimum wage actually get a decent pay rise. As has been highlighted, this is something that is supported broadly by business. We've even seen support from COSBOA for industrial instruments that make things simpler for them, because that too will create a more stable and less complicated business environment. It will enable them to compete, to keep employees without needing to go into their own new rounds of bargaining. We've extended some of the pandemic payments that those opposite had ended and we have kept them going. And this week we will finally be debating our climate change bill, to put in place a scheme for our nation, to give us some certainty around our energy and climate change future.

All of these elements of uncertainty and chaos propagated by the former government are absolutely seeded in the current inflation crisis.

We are working to put downward pressure on our nation's costs for businesses and households. We're doing this through cheaper child care and cheaper medicines, and we just announced this week, in the lead-up to the October budget, very important measures to support households to keep up with their medication costs. We're going from $40 a prescription down to about $32, I think it is. We also have plans to deal with the skills crisis through fee-free TAFE places. For years we've had a government that has absolutely failed to deal with critical workforce shortages or with investment in skills and training—investment that is much needed in order to make sure young people, older workers and our businesses have the skills they need now and into the future.

These are just a small handful of the things we have done in just three months, whereas those opposite seeded the problems that our government now faces and that are beleaguering households and small businesses right around the country. As the Prime Minister said, this government is pro business and is pro working with business to deal with the challenges they are facing right now. We are dealing with a decade of wasted opportunity and inaction from those opposite—and they now come in here and start blaming us all for the years and years of inaction. (Time expired)