Jane Hume (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Farrell. Minister, how is the government lowering aggregate demand in the economy?

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

Thank you, Senator Hume, for your question.

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The budget surplus is a start.

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

I couldn't have said it any better, Senator. I will take that interjection. Let's go back in time a little bit. I know you hate this, but we inherited a $1 trillion debt. What did we do? Not only did we inherit a $1 trillion debt—

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

No, you didn't!

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

We did, Senator Birmingham. I know you don't like it. I know you don't like us talking about your incompetent economic management, but not only did we inherit a $1 trillion debt but we inherited a $70 billion deficit. Senator Hume, what we did—

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

Senator Farrell, direct your comments to the chair.

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

She asked the question, with respect.

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

But you direct your comments to me.

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

And she'll ask me some supplementary questions, and she won't have listened to my answer. I just want to make sure that when I give the answer to this question she—

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

Senator Birmingham, a point of order?

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

President, on direct relevance. This minister does it time and time again. He runs the clock down with endless waffle and diversionary tactics. He's had more than three—

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

Your point of order?

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

The point of order is on direct relevance.

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

Thank you.

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

He's had more than three-quarters of the allocated time, and the words 'aggregate demand' haven't passed his lips at all. Does he even know what it is?

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

Thank you, Senator Birmingham. I would remind senators, as I did yesterday, that if there are interjections the minister is entitled to take those into consideration. I will remind him of the question, Senator Birmingham, but if there aren't interjections then we can focus on the question.

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

Thank you, President, for that clarification. I answered your question in the very first answer I gave. Just because you don't—

Jane Hume (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

President, I raise a point of order and a clarification. Economist Chris Richardson said that the only people who would use the phrase 'a billion dollars worth of debt' are either ignorant or making a political point. My question, President, is: which one?

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

Senator Hume, resume your seat. I would remind senators that, if you are standing on a point of order, make sure it is a point of order and not a debating point. Minister Farrell.

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

Thank you. Is that Senator Hume's first supplementary question? (Time expired)

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

Senator McGrath, there's one of your own senators—order!—on her feet, waiting to ask her first supplementary. Thank you, Senator Hume.

Jane Hume (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, the cost of food has gone up by 8.2 per cent over the last 15 months. What is the Albanese government doing to stop supermarket bills going up and up?

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

We're putting downward pressure on inflation. One way we do that is to provide a surplus. We've done that this year.

Jane Hume (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You didn't provide a surplus.

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

Credit where credit is due, Senator.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To the resource companies of Australia!

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

Senator Cash, I know you don't like it that, for the first time in 15 years, a federal government has produced a surplus. But just producing that surplus itself puts downward pressure on.

Now, what have we done about trying to help families who are struggling? These families are struggling with increases food prices—

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You've done nothing!

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

We're reducing the cost of child care. We're reducing the cost of going— (Time expired)

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

Senator Hume, your second supplementary.

Jane Hume (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister explain how the Albanese Labor government's additional $188 billion in spending is putting downward pressure on inflation, rather than upward?

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

I thank Senator Hume for her second supplementary question. I note that the opposition didn't support any of the moves that this government—

Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Shame!

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

Yes, it is a shame, Senator Brown. They didn't support any of the measures that this government proposed to put downward pressure on inflation. They didn't support the reductions in childcare costs. They didn't support the measures to cap electricity prices. They're not supporting—

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

You're not really helping with the supermarket bills!

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

Well, what are we doing? For the first time we've had a government that's interested in pushing up wages. Remember what Mathias Cormann— (Time expired)