Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. Since being elected in 2022, the Albanese Labor government has announced more than $50 billion in off-budget spending, hidden away to contribute to a $49.3 billion deterioration to the budget bottom line—the worst in history that's now going to occur outside of a war or pandemic. The government's now promising to add billions more to off-budget spending. How can the government justify all of this off-budget spending while refusing also to rule out further election promises at a time when Australians are desperate to see inflationary pressures permanently fixed and interest rates come down in Australia like they are in the rest of the world?