Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

There is a $7½ billion cost-of-living package in this budget, but we also accept that these are really difficult circumstances for households, for families and for businesses. We inherited a high inflation environment.

You can pretend the inflation problem isn't there, Senator Cash, but we don't have the luxury of doing that. We have to deal with the inflation challenge. We can't add to inflation, and that's why we are working alongside—we don't want to make the Reserve Bank's job any harder. We don't want to fuel inflation. We know that inflation hits households on low incomes or fixed incomes harder than anyone. So we need to make sure that what we do is responsible, aligns with monetary policy, delivers on our commitments and doesn't add to inflation in the short term. That is what this government will deliver, and that is, frankly, what we must deliver. (Time expired)