Dorinda Cox (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Cost-of-living measures are not a new thing. They didn't just start this week. Australians have been dealing with them, and our government have been very, very focused on that. We've heard Senator Whiteaker, who is my colleague and my friend from Western Australia, talking about the cost-of-living pressures. What we saw is that question time today kicked off with a question from the housing spokesperson, Senator Bragg, to Senator Wong, our leader of the government here, about the important issue that is housing here in Australia. It is the thing that Australians are focused on, and that's because 373 homes are all that the opposition built in a decade. It is the role of government, as Senator Wong told Senator Bragg, to ensure that there is supply of housing in the market. That's what our government is focused on. It's not a race to a Sky interview to get your grabs, to get your social media hits up. This is about ensuring that Australians are front and centre and the focus of what we do as a government, and that's what the Albanese Labor government are focused on.

Minister Gallagher went through the housing agenda after a question from the crossbench, from Senator Waters, in relation to our tax policy settings. They haven't changed. We didn't change our spots or our position or our relationships in the break. We are still addressing the intergenerational issues that have arisen, and they are about supply—putting more housing supply into the market.

Through our economic management measures, as I think Minister Gallagher mentioned, we found $114 billion in savings in the budget. We know that there are issues with the budget. We know that we need to address those in the best way they can be addressed. It should definitely not be in the shape that we inherited from the opposition. We on this side of the chamber continue to be responsible economic managers.

Minister Ayres responded to the question that was asked by another colleague of mine, Senator Payman from Western Australia, in relation to housing and the five per cent deposit. I know that Western Australians—young people and young people with families—have accessed that five per cent deposit for housing. It is something that is making a difference.

Their credibility when they come in here—we are addressing the cost of living, with cheaper medicines, bulk-billing, our largest investment in Medicare, cutting student debt and all of the things that matter to Australians and all of the things that they have told us will make a difference to the cost-of-living pressures that they have. We are getting real wages moving again.

After a decade of not just delay but just damn neglect from those opposite, their hypocrisy is deafening—to stand in this chamber and say that we are not doing the job and we are not up for the challenge in relation to inflation, managing the budget and ensuring that we find those savings. That is something we take very, very seriously.

Our government continues to work across all these areas to ensure we are making the investments, whether it's in housing, health, aged care or disability. These are all areas that we know affect Australians, and we are doing the work. Unlike those opposite, we are focused on fighting for Australians, not fighting each other.