Helen Coonan (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Human Services, Senator Ludwig. Minister, why did last night’s budget break the Prime Minister’s promise to carers that their bonus payments would be made permanent?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you for the question in respect of the carers bonus. The question should be directed to the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, so in directing it to Human Services you have in fact directed it to the wrong portfolio, which is what I expect from you, Senator. It seems to be one of those areas where you have also—

Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order. I wonder if you could ensure that the minister follows standing orders by directing his remarks through you and not directly to the senator.

John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on the point of order: it would also be reasonable to expect the questioner to direct the question to the right minister.

Alan Ferguson (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Faulkner, that is a totally different point of order to the one that Senator Minchin raised. Senator Ludwig, I would remind you that all questions and answers must be addressed to the chair.

Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Have you had time to pick up the brief?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I was saying, it had been directed to the wrong portfolio. Insofar as Senator Coonan wants the Human Services portfolio to answer the question that should have been directed to the repping minister—that is Senator Evans in respect of a question in the portfolio of Families, Housing and Community Services—if Senator Coonan wants the human services minister to address that in a general sense and then seek additional and further information from the relevant minister and/or the relevant repping minister, then I can do so. I will provide some broad comment, or, if Senator Coonan could indicate with a nod that she got it wrong and would prefer Senator Evans, who is the repping minister—

Alan Ferguson (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Ludwig, the question has been asked of you. You can choose to answer it or not to answer it. It is entirely up to you. I give you the call, and you must make that decision.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I was saying, I can answer in a general sense and then refer the matter on. The budget introduced a range of means testing, because we believe that it is the responsible thing to do. This government understands there is a problem with inflation. This government does understand that, unlike the opposition, who do not seem to appreciate the fact that we have a problem with inflation. Unlike the opposition, we know that prices—

Helen Coonan (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on a point of order: the point of order was that—

Government Senator:

Government senator—You got it wrong!

Helen Coonan (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is Senator Ludwig seriously suggesting that the bonus payment is means tested?

Alan Ferguson (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Coonan, that is not a point of order. You may use that as a debating point, but that is not a point of order.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As we said, we have delivered on the election commitments we made prior to the election. We have delivered on this election commitment. So far as I can find additional information, I will then provide that to Senator Coonan, but I remind her that it is best to ask the appropriate repping senator in the future.

Helen Coonan (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Quite frankly, Senator Ludwig’s performance here is nothing short of embarrassing, not knowing even the most general information about a policy. Will the minister guarantee that carers will continue to be paid, or will Australia’s most vulnerable families be forced to rely on nothing more than Labor government spin?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I said, the commitment has been honoured. It has been a clear commitment that has been made and honoured. The opposition has failed to appreciate that this government honours its commitments, unlike the opposition.

Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Evans. Can the minister inform the Senate how the government’s budget is supporting Australia’s working families?

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Collins and welcome her back. I congratulate her on being capable of asking the right minister a portfolio related question. It shows her experience will be useful. Perhaps she could pull Senator Coonan aside later and brief her on the correct procedures. It is an important question, because what last’s night budget did was deliver to working families. It delivered in spades to working families to help them with the economic pressures under which they find themselves. More importantly, it actually delivered exactly on the Labor government’s promises made at the last election—it delivered on our commitments to the Australian public. I know those opposite are unfamiliar with such a strategy, but, when the Prime Minister said to working families he would deliver, he did in last night’s budget. All the measures we went to the election with were delivered in full.

People have noticed a very different approach in government. They have noticed that this government is committed to delivering on its commitments, and it has delivered on those commitments to assist working families in this period of high inflation. They know that this government inherited high inflation from the previous government, they know that is feeding in to their interest rates and they know that they want support in difficult times. We gave that support by delivering on a major priority of fighting inflation. The budget was focused on fighting inflation. The very large surplus that we delivered last night will assist in the fight against inflation and will assist in keeping downward pressure on interest rates.

People in Australia, working families in Australia, understand that that is the most important thing government can do—fight inflation and keep downward pressure on inflation—because they know any other gains they make from wage increases or increasing benefits will be eaten away if inflation is not controlled. What Australian people also know is that we made a commitment to deliver a package of support to Australian working families—a package of measures designed to assist them. We know they are under financial pressure, we know they are dealing with increased prices, we know they are dealing with soaring fuel prices and we know that is putting enormous pressure on family budgets. That is why the Australian government’s budget last night was directed at assisting those people through the delivery of the personal income tax cuts worth $46 billion over the next four years to boost take-home pay and offer extra incentives to work and improve skills.

The tax cuts we promised were delivered, and they were delivered to middle and lower income earners. Unlike the Howard government’s tax cuts, which were always directed at the top end of town, these tax cuts go to people on middle and lower incomes, who need the assistance. They also will get the education tax refund to help them with the costs of educating their kids. That 50 per cent education tax refund will go a long way towards assisting them in meeting the costs of educating their kids. The 50 per cent childcare tax rebate is another huge initiative to assist those people with children in child care. It provides more financial assistance and allows partners to return to work knowing that they have affordable child care. A range of other measures, like the Teen Dental Plan, the first home saver accounts, the fairer Medicare levy surcharge and the national Fuelwatch scheme, are all designed to assist working families in meeting the demands on them with rising costs as a result of the inflation left to the Rudd Labor government. The budget delivered for working families. (Time expired)