Ross Cadell (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Foreign Affairs (Senator Wong) to questions without notice asked by Opposition senators today.

There were so many questions because we're getting down to the cornerstone of what we're doing here in the dying days of this government—the cost of living. We hear the answers, and it's almost a scene from 8 Mile in the final battle. We know everything they'll say on the other side of taking note, because they're the same things they always say, 'All these measures we put in—so many things—were so great. Here we are,' and that we voted against them. That's the reason, but let's get down to it. Not one single measure failed because we didn't vote for it. And why didn't we vote for those measures? Because they were poorly designed and they wouldn't work.

Everyone out there in the world, just ask yourselves: are you better off now than you were three years ago? It's a simple question. The answer is no. The data out today shows a 19.4 per cent increase in the cost of living since this government was elected. That's what it is about. They'll talk about this and that and who voted what. You don't vote for bad policies that don't work, and it shows on the scoreboard. People are doing it tougher out there. We can come in here and say we've done all of the things, we've got better plans and we're going to do this—they put their best foot forward this term. If this ain't the best they've got, what have they been doing? If this isn't the very biggest thing on every government's list—the cost of living and making it easier to get by—what have we been focused on all of this time? If they've been putting their second roster out, their second plan for the cost of living, do they deserve another term? This is it. We've had a term of them doing their very best—a 19.4 per cent increase to the cost of living over the term of this government. People out there are doing it tougher.

A recent survey I saw this week showed that almost a quarter of regional Australians—the National Party heartland out there—could not find any way to pay an unexpected $600 bill now. Fourteen per cent would have to borrow money off family or friends because there's no commercial way to get through. Nearly 40 per cent have no savings, no credit cards, no bank overdrafts—no way to pay an unexpected $600 bill in regional Australia. Metro is a bit better, at 15 and 15—I think about 30 per cent.

We're kidding ourselves that Australia is going great—that we've had all these great things that have done great things for Australia. Are we going to pretend that it's the fault of this side that didn't vote for policies that got up anyway? Let's face it, their energy bill relief was in light of $275 of actual savings in energy. Their childcare rebates—in regional Australia you can't even find somewhere to send your child, let alone get it cheaper. When we hear reports that bulk-billing has gone down, they will stand up and say the same things: 'We invented Medicare. We love Medicare.' Bulk-billing has gone down. It's like going out and getting bowled for a duck and saying, 'But, geez, wasn't my footwork great!' Look at the results. This government has let down the most vulnerable people in Australia with the cost of living across everything—food, energy, insurance and housing.

We're here for these two weeks. We know we're here next week. We don't know if we will be back here in this parliament after that. Does the government have something up their sleeve? Their answers today were: 'This is what we've done. We're so good. We've done this. You didn't vote for it.' The same answers will come out now. They're desperately writing something new for the talking points. They'll say: 'Under the previous government inflation was so high. It was six per cent when we came in.' It was 9.4 per cent on average in the OECD. We were one-third lower than the average OECD inflation when this government took over. It's stayed higher and for longer because they can't help spending taxpayers' money. They spent $600 million on the Voice because that was their No. 1 priority for the first year and a half—not inflation and not the people that elected them.

Virtue signalling has been the cornerstone of this government, not helping people. Sooner or later, the woke around the world have been realising reality hits you in the face, and it hits hard and it hits the people that put you there. They will be walking into booths within the next two or three months and they'll be thinking about one thing: did you deliver? Deep in your hearts, no matter what you say, you know you haven't delivered for them and we know they won't deliver for you.

Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm very pleased to talk about our government's record on the cost of living. I'm always going to remind the Australian people that those opposite opposed every single measure that our government has delivered when it comes to the cost of living. Of course, the Australian people also know that when we came to government, inflation had a six in front of it and now it has a two in front of it. Wages are up and unemployment is down, and our government has created more jobs than any other government in a single term.

We know that people are doing it tough. We know that the cost of living is a priority. That is why we are working incredibly hard to deliver these measures. All of these measures, the opposition opposed. They don't have any of their own policies, but they've opposed every single one of ours. The senator from New South Wales says that these measures didn't work. Well, tell that to taxpayers who received a tax cut. That was opposed by those opposite. They wanted to call an election to stop it. But our government delivered a tax cut to every single taxpayer.

Cheaper medicines are delivering cost-of-living relief. The senator from New South Wales said that this is a waste of money and something that doesn't help anyone. Well, in the electorate of Leichhardt alone, people have saved $6 million from cheaper medicines and cheaper scripts. It's over $1 billion nationally. The urgent care clinics are something else that we've delivered to deal with the cost of living. There have been 17,000 presentations alone at the Cairns South urgent care clinic. But the senators opposite say these measures didn't work and that's why they opposed them. We have cheaper child care and fee-free TAFE. We've had 100,000 enrolments in fee-free TAFE. I've personally met nurses who are now graduating and taking up jobs as nurses in regional Queensland because of fee-free TAFE. They say that they wouldn't have taken up that role if it weren't for fee-free TAFE. We've delivered energy bill relief, something that those opposite opposed.

Not only did they oppose these policies, they've said that they're a waste and they will cut them. That is the choice at this election: more cost-of-living relief under our government or a government led by Peter Dutton, who will make savage cuts to things like Medicare, cheaper child care, fee-free TAFE and energy bill relief if he ever gets the chance. He will make energy costs more expensive if he has the chance to do that. If they care about cheaper energy, why are they pursuing a policy of the most expensive energy available?

We know that energy costs are a real concern for people in this country. That's why we are delivering more renewable energy than ever before. It is the cheapest form of energy. When those opposite ask questions and talk about cheaper energy, why are they then pursuing a policy of the most expensive form of energy available? Their $600 billion risky nuclear plan is so expensive they are unable to explain to the Australian people how they will pay for it. The only way they can possibly pay for a $600 billion nuclear plan is to make cuts to the things we love, like Medicare.

It will also increase costs. We know this. It's the most expensive form of energy. While those opposite are debating about energy bill relief and opposing the measures that we've put in place, we know that nuclear energy will make energy costs more expensive. It will add $1,200 to every single power bill every single year because it is so expensive to deliver this type of energy. Why would they support something like that? Why would they put cuts to Medicare on the line to fund something like that? As Senator Canavan revealed, it is because it's a political fix.

But this is more important than politics and political fixes. We need to deliver cost-of-living measures. That's why our government has been delivering them. It's why we've got the cheapest form of energy, which we are delivering right now. It's why we've invested in cheaper medicine, cheaper child care, fee-free TAFE, energy bill relief, urgent care clinics and tax cuts for every single taxpayer, and it's why we are keeping pressure on inflation and keeping inflation down. It now has a two in front of it. When those opposite were in government, it had a six in front of it.

I said they had no policies, but, with the last 10 seconds I have left, I need to mention that the only cost-of-living measure that they have announced is for taxpayers to pay for bosses to have long lunches. That is the only thing they say they will deliver to Australians to relieve the cost of living—for taxpayers to pay for bosses to have a long lunch and congratulate themselves on a good day's work.

Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When you govern, it is not what you have done that matters. What matters is the effect of what you've done. Unfortunately for Australian families and businesses, Labor is breaking international economic records for all the wrong reasons. It's breaking records for all the wrong reasons because the effect of what it is doing is damaging the prosperity of our country, damaging the livelihoods of Australian families, and damaging the livelihoods of small businesses and the sacrifices that they have been making across our country.

At the election, which is now just moments away, Australians only have to ask themselves one question: are the living standards that I have enjoyed and that my family, including my grandparents, have enjoyed for decades going to go up or are they going to go down if we have another three years of Labor? The honest answer to that, peeling away all the politics, is the latter. Australian parents and grandparents can no longer guarantee that their children and their grandchildren are going to experience high standards of living—indeed, standards of living that have been the envy of the world. They cannot say to their children and grandchildren that they are guaranteed those high standards of living into the future under Labor.

We know that over the past two years Australians have endured the biggest fall in living standards of any country in the developed world. What a remarkable record that Anthony Albanese and Labor take to the election, due in just moments. But, more than that, the International Monetary Fund has said that in 2025 Australia will continue to experience the highest levels of inflation of any advanced economy in the world bar one. That one country is Slovakia. I'm not even sure where it is on the map, but I'll quickly find out.

So it is shameful that Labor come into the Senate chamber and that Labor go out across the electorates in Australia saying that the country can trust them because of all the things they have done when, in actual fact, in all the things they have done, they have made this nation go backwards: seven quarters of negative GDP per capita; the weakest annual growth since 1991; and one new person coming to this country every 46 seconds. What that means is that those unplanned, unmodelled immigration levels have put huge pressure on Australians looking for properties to buy and huge pressure on Australians, particularly young Australians, looking to rent. This country has been the beneficiary of strong, positive immigration for many decades, but, under this Labor government, unplanned, unmodelled immigration has made life harder for many Australians.

So at this election only one question needs to be on the lips of every Australian voter: will my next three years be better under Labor? The answer to that is it can't be; it just cannot be better under Labor in the next three years because the evidence of the last 2½ years is that this country has gone backwards. The data proves it. Australian families feel it. People are talking about it in the streets. The stories are harrowing, and there is no clear pathway out of this under a Labor government. This is all from the man, Anthony Albanese, who said that things would get better under Labor.

Lisa Darmanin (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I too want to talk about the cost of living and the measures that this government has undertaken to address the pressures on Australians. Yes, we do keep reiterating the same messages because we are focused on continuing our legislative agenda to address the cost-of-living concerns of Australians and to build Australia's future. We are concerned about all working Australians—indeed, all Australians—and our record in parliament shows that we have been delivering.

We are also really concerned about the opposition's plans that confirm there will be cuts, huge cuts, if they win the election. There are great risks for Australians in this country, particularly when the opposition won't say what these cuts will be—secret cuts to services for all Australians to the tune of $35 billion. I can't see how you wouldn't be worse off in the future when $35 billion is going to be cut from services to Australians.

We are taking the opposite approach. We know Australians are doing it tough, which is why we have been doing and will continue to do whatever we can to help deal with the cost of living. The list of things—and Senator Green talked about some of them—is so long that I don't have time to go through them all, but here are just some. We made sure every taxpayer got a tax cut and every household got energy bill relief. People have access to cheaper child care, cheaper medicines, a stronger Medicare and free TAFE, and we will cut HECS debt for students by 20 per cent. Our primary focus is to continue working on easing the cost of living.

We also need to remember that when we came to government inflation was high and rising, real wages were falling, living standards were declining and people were going backwards. We had a $78 billion deficit and turned it around to a $22 billion surplus—and then backed it up with a second surplus. Under this Labor government, inflation is now almost one-third of what it was at the time of the last election, and it's falling. Real wages are growing again, living standards are rising again, and we have recorded the lowest average unemployment rate for any government in 50 years. For people to survive and have their cost of living met, they need a job. We have created more than 1.1 million jobs in this term of government, the most jobs created on record in any parliamentary term. If that is not helping to address the cost of living, then I don't know what is.

Our economic plan is all about helping Australians earn more and keep more of what they earn. The Leader of the Opposition led the coalition to vote against a number of these measures. We know that Australians would be worse off right now if the coalition had their way. This government cares about workers. As I said, to have a job means you can look after yourself and your family and can keep up with the cost of living.

We have seen early childhood educators' wages go up 15 per cent—10 per cent in December last year and another five per cent in December this year. The minimum wage has gone up nearly $150 a week in this term of government. Millions and millions of workers are better off by $150 a week with the minimum wage increases that those opposite opposed. Real wages have gone up for all workers for four quarters in a row, and the gender pay gap is at an historic low. There have been wage rises for aged-care workers, and I think the focus of this government on women's economic contribution to our community by introducing all of those measures is a key driver in ensuring that the cost of living continues to be addressed for Australian families.

We've also introduced cheaper medicines and urgent care clinics so that, when people are faced with the difficult decision of where they need to go, they do not need a credit card; they just need a Medicare card.

Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The sad reality is the Labor Party are in no position to lecture anyone about what is best for energy policy in this country, what is best to help people with the cost of living, because they've had their chance. The Australian people gave them their faith and trust three years ago, and that faith and trust included the promise to cut energy bills for all Australians. The Labor Party put a number on it; they said they'd cut energy costs by $275 per bill. They said it would be easier, that they would help to lower the cost of living. They've had a relatively compliant Senate; they've been able to get the vast majority of their legislation through. They say they got all this cost-of-living stuff through. Well, the question has to be asked: if they got it all through—they say we opposed some of it, but, regardless, they got it through—why is it that, after all their actions, Australia has had the largest drop in standard of living in the developed world? No other place in the developed world has been smashed like Australia has in the past three years, as we've gotten out of COVID. It's only this country that has suffered that. The people responsible obviously have to be those people in power. They are simply in no position to criticise other people's energy policies. They lost that authority because of their record.

You can tell right now that they're barely even defending that record. In question time, we asked about the Labor Party's record on power prices, on energy policy and on the cost of living, as you would as the opposition. Immediately, the ministers would pivot to criticise the polices and plans of the opposition. There was no attempt at all to defend the record of their own policies and what they've done for Australians. It shows the shallow platform upon which the Labor Party are asking the Australian people, against all of the evidence, to give them their faith and trust again.

We saw evidence of this just a couple of weeks ago. The Prime Minister, just after Australia Day, was quoted as saying that his party has done 'all we can to encourage a rate cut'. As I say, we've had the highest inflation rate in the developed world. We've had the biggest drop in the standard of living in the developed world, and the Labor Prime Minister says he's done all he can. He's washed his hands. 'Good luck, Australians. You're on your own now.' We'll see how we go with the Reserve Bank in a couple of weeks time. This Prime Minister is out of ideas and out of a plan. It raises the question why the Prime Minister is standing for re-election. Why is he asking to have another go, if he's already done all he can and he has no other plans in the locker to develop?

I think Australians deserve better, because we have such a great country. We have so many natural resources. We just have to unlock them. Now, I'd like to unlock all of them. I've been very transparent and upfront about that. And lots of my friends and colleagues on the other side like to watch and listen to everything I have to say. I just wish they acted upon it. But we just have to open up our resources. At the election, there'll be one side—the side of failure, the side that have failed on their promises in the last few years—who are saying, 'We're only going to use our solar and wind resources.' They've stopped talking about hydrogen. They used to talk about hydrogen, too, but that's been a complete and utter failure, and they're too embarrassed to even mention it now. So they're only going to use solar and wind. That's it. They're restricted to that.

We'll have a plan. We're saying that we need to use, yes, solar and wind; we need to use our gas; we need to continue our coal-fired power stations, and we need to use our uranium reserves, too, because we've locked those up. Twenty or 30 years ago it didn't matter that much, because we had so many coal-fired power stations running, but right now we need to open up more resources. It is a very simple equation. If you want to have lower energy prices, you need to have more supply of energy. And the more energy we open up—the more nuclear, the more coal, the more gas, the more solar and wind; I've got nothing against solar and wind, in the right places, as long as it doesn't destroy the environment—the more of it we build, the lower our power prices will be, the more chance we'll have to save what is left of our manufacturing industry and the lower the cost of living will be for all Australians, and we we'll finally have some relief.

Right now we have to make decisions that are going to put our country in a strong position to navigate the uncertain times that are occurring around the world. Unless we reform and change course, we're going to be a weaker and poorer nation, which is the trajectory we've been on under this government.

Question agreed to.