Tony Sheldon (NSW, Australian Labor Party) | Hansard source

Isn't it amusing to have those on the opposite side talking about the cost of living, lowering inflation and growing the economy. The characters across the way want to bring a nuclear fantasy into this country to reduce prices; it's actually going to increase prices for energy. When it comes to initiatives that we've done—households will receive the $300 rebate and small businesses will receive advantages—where are they? Crickets! They mean nothing. To everybody in the community that's receiving that $300, I congratulate you. Through our policies, we're fighting inflation not only by giving out the $300 rebate and supporting small business but also by having two surpluses.

When you talk about the challenges we have with the cost of living—we know there are challenges out there; people feel them every day—that's where the difference is between them and us. We know people feel the rising cost of living and we're taking action about it. Those opposite consistently vote against it on every occasion when there's an opportunity to fight the cost-of-living pressures, to give people an opportunity to put more money in their pockets to support themselves and their families. There are so many examples.

Even today, there is another way of dealing with the cost-of-living pressures, where 2.6 million people will get their third consecutive pay increase. This will mean $110 extra a week since Labor's been in office. The people opposite have never stood up for those people on the minimum wage. Look at the figures. I recall when Senator McKenzie said that the National Party represent those on the lowest incomes. But they vote against measures to help them. They don't support minimum wage increases. They vote against helping their own constituency to deal with the cost of living. They speak against the $300 household rebate. When it comes to things like fee-free TAFE, which builds a more sustainable and capable community—to get more training and education to boost productivity, to deal with inflation on multiple fronts and to give people an opportunity for the future—they vote against it. They speak against it. They say that training and educating more Australians and giving them opportunity is something we shouldn't be doing.

Those opposite have no plan for how to make this economy a better economy for everybody. We see the sorts of things that they're against. They're against a future made in Australia, a whole combination of opportunities that this country can grab a hold of in manufacturing, minerals and renewables in the new age. Where are they? Again, they're against it. They say no to minimum wage increases. They say no to turning around and having a future made in Australia. They say no to the tax rebates. But then they turn around and say nuclear energy is something they should implement—in 20 years time. Every reasonable economist, every reasonable thinking person who has dealt with this proposition and every independent mind has said that their proposition won't work. But, even if it were to work, it's in 20 years time. That's their cost-of-living response. It's something that we all know is going to cost $600 billion, five to six times more than renewables, and not give us the opportunities in this country that we can have right now.

It's clear that the opposition have no plan and are opposed to every solution that gives cost-of-living relief. There are 2.6 million workers who have got a third consecutive pay rise, which this government has supported and which the opposition always opposed in the past and continue to oppose. They're not about cost-of-living relief, they're not about building a better economy and they're not about a future made in Australia. They're about a very narrow-cast view about how this country could work, and their failures over the last 10 years prove it.