Hollie Hughes (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Farrell. Yesterday in question time you stated, 'What is it that Prime Minister Albanese hasn't done to help the Australian people?' Minister, can you confirm that the Prime Minister has not decreased power prices for Australian families by $275, despite promising 97 times before the election that he would do so?

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Hughes for her question and the opportunity to talk again about what a terrific job our Prime Minister is doing. When he's not progressing the issue of recognition of an Indigenous Voice to this parliament he's of course dealing with all the issues that, regrettably, the former government—your government, the government that you were part of, Senator Hughes—simply failed to do.

So, bit by bit, we're trying to restore the Australian economy, to deal with all those serious cost-of-living pressures that every family is facing at the moment because of your neglect of things like an energy policy and like dealing with climate change. Each day the Prime Minister wakes up and thinks, 'How can I help Australian families to reduce and push down the cost of living for hardworking Australian families?' That's what this Prime Minister is focused on—not on picking up other ministries from members of his cabinet, but dealing with the serious issues that are facing Australian people as a result of those nine or 10 years of neglect under your former government.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hughes, a first supplementary question?

Hollie Hughes (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, you said yesterday that the Prime Minister has done so much to reduce the cost of living. Can you please name a single cost to Australian families that is lower now than when the Albanese government was elected?

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Hughes for her supplementary question. Well, what did we do when we first came to government? We supported a rise in the minimum wage for ordinary Australian workers. What was your policy at the time? Your policy, as—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister Farrell, please resume your seat. Senator Hughes?

Hollie Hughes (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A point of order on relevance, and in a bid to ensure that we don't get another 30 seconds of 'um's and 'er's: the question was very specific as to naming a single cost that has come down for Australian families—a single cost. I'd appreciate your redirecting the minister to the question.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Hughes. The minister did start off with a bit of a preamble, but as you got to your feet he had started to name some costs. You mightn't agree with them, but he was being relevant to your questions.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And of course Senator Hughes wouldn't agree with what I'm about to say, but let's go through some of the things that have been the subject of downward pressure as a result of the work done by the Prime Minister and the rest of these wonderful people. We've cut the price of PBS medicines from $42.50 to $30.00—

Opposition senators interjecting—

You don't like me talking about—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister Farrell!

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You don't like me talking about the things that have gone down, because we have been doing some—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister Farrell, the time for answering has expired. Senators, I was trying to draw the minister to sit down, but there was so much noise in this chamber, he was unable to hear me. He is answering questions asked by opposition senators. I am certainly entitled to hear the answers, as are other senators. Senator Hughes, a second supplementary?

Hollie Hughes (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, does the Prime Minister follow your rule and not closely follow power prices or grocery prices? Is this why Prime Minister Albanese thinks Australians have had a pretty good 10 months, despite their electricity bills, grocery bills, mortgage repayments and rent all going up? Does this show how out of touch your government is?

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Hughes for her second question. I have to say I was a bit disappointed about the way in which the leader in particular put up items on his Facebook page yesterday, seeking to misrepresent my views by cutting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hughes.

Hollie Hughes (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A point of order on relevance: this is a very serious question affecting every day Australians and the rising prices they're facing everywhere. I would appreciate the minister's being relevant to the question.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Hughes. I'm glad you pointed out that it's a serious question. I would hope all questions are serious, and I would ask senators to remain silent so that we can all hear the answers. I will direct the minister to your question.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I was saying, my staff recommended that I perhaps request that this Facebook page be taken down because it was in breach of the rules. When we discovered that there were only 71 likes of this particular Facebook page, we decided not to.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hughes on a point of order?

Hollie Hughes (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam President, this question was not with regard to Senator Farrell's or Senator Birmingham's social media. I ask that the minister in his last eight seconds address at least part of the question.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hughes, when raising a point of order please come directly to the point. You will note that in your last point of order I directed the minister to your question, and I will direct him again.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, President. There is no person in this country who is more concerned about the cost of living— (Time expired)

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

I thank Senator Payman for her question. I can provide an update to the chamber on how the government is working hard and is focused on how we can make life easier for each and every Australian. We are certainly aware of Australians who are facing tough times with some of the increases in the cost of living. Some of these in relation to power have, of course, been caused by the ongoing war in Ukraine, which has driven up gas prices. There is continued disruption on our supply chains following years of chaos, impacted, of course, by the pandemic. And there are the successive interest rate rises that we have seen from the Reserve Bank, which started on its tightening arrangements before the last election.

There are other factors that we can address, and where we can, we are. One of the very first acts of the Albanese government was to successfully argue for a minimum wage to keep pace with inflation, an outcome which helped around 2.7 million Australians and was a real change between us and the former government in approach on wages. Our first budget focused on responsible cost-of-living relief that didn't put extra pressure on inflation. That's one of the most important things. In terms of our investments, there were things like cheaper child care, expanding Paid Parental Leave, cheaper medicines, more affordable housing and getting wages moving again.

In addition, as winter approaches, we are providing—and will provide through the budget—energy relief to millions of households, payments that those opposite opposed. These households will pay up to a third less in the retail price when their energy bills come in. Again, it beggars belief that those opposite decided to oppose the laws that put in place those arrangements.

Then there is—and I will go into this more in the next answer—our investment in early education. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Payman, a first supplementary?

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

Thank you, Senator Payman, for being on the same page in relation to early education and care. In 100 days, cheaper early childhood education and care will provide cost-of-living relief for around 1.2 million Australian families. The milestone comes as new data from the Department of Education reveals that childcare costs soared by 49 per cent under the previous government. From July, the Albanese government will be taking action to deliver real cost-of-living relief. We know parents who have children under the age of five just want to keep those childcare costs under the weekly household budget. For the average family on about $120,000 a year with a child in care three days a week, the changes will cut costs by about $1,700 a year. The childcare subsidy rates will lift to 90 per cent for families on a combined income of $80,000 or less. The highest subsidies of up to 95 per cent for families with second and subsequent children will be retained. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Payman, the second supplementary?

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

I thank Senator Payman for her supplementary. We are taking actions, as this chamber knows, because we debated them in December last year. We want to take the sting out of higher power prices through direct energy bill relief through the next budget. It's direct support for households and businesses that, let us not forget, those opposite tried to block. There are encouraging signs that our plan for energy prices is beginning to work, with big drops in the prices on the electricity futures market.

We are also focused on growing the economy in the right way so more Australians can get the benefit from good skills, get good jobs and earn good wages. That's why we successfully argued for the Fair Work Commission minimum wage increase in line with inflation.

So we have legislation around cleaner and cheaper energy, we brought in a new pensioner work bonus, we are working on the new housing accord and we have important legislation before this chamber that will assist with cost-of-living pressures on Australian households.