Anthony Albanese
Grayndler · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“The ground there at Brookvale Oval, as I call it, was of course sponsored by a gambling company, so every time there's a game on there you see that constant advertising around the ground. What our legislation will do is make sure that future contracts can't be issued with things such as advertising on jerseys or advertising on grounds.”
“She's someone who's passionate about it and tells me about her constituent who is 108 years old and travelled, as a very young boy, from South Australia with family for the opening of the first parliament—and he's still there. We hope he's able to attend again.”
“That is why, just this week, there was the increase in the minimum wage, the decrease in taxes, the support for paid parental leave, super being paid every payday. All of these changes make a positive difference to people's lives.”
“This year, Australia is celebrating 125 years of Federation, and I was with you and other members in Melbourne to commemorate that event of the first sitting of parliament, and it was a very good celebration of our history, which is worthy of celebration.”
“We Australians sometimes think of ourselves as a young nation on an ancient continent, yet by global standards, of course, we are one of the oldest and strongest democracies in the world. Next year will mark an important anniversary: the 100th anniversary of Australian democracy making its home here in Canberra, our national capital.”
“I note the member for McPherson, who's a former attendant in Parliament House, has agreed to be one of the members of that committee as well, and that's a good thing.”
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“That makes an enormous difference to people, and it makes a difference when combined with cheaper child care, fee-free TAFE and the other measures that we have put in place—our energy bill relief and our Medicare urgent care clinics. All of these measures are making a difference. But at the same time, of course, we want workers to earn more, which is why we've changed the industrial relations system through measures like same job, same pay; making sure that the casualisation definition is not abused; making sure that people have the right to disconnect—and we don't sledge people who work from home, unlike those opposite. If you combine those things together, think about this. The opposition leader doesn't want people to work from home, but he doesn't want them to have a right to disconnect either. He wants them on track 24 hours a day.”
“I thank the member for her question. Indeed, every Australian taxpayer will get another tax cut from next year, building on what we've delivered this year—all 14 million, not just some. It's taking that first marginal tax rate from 16 down to 15 and then down to 14, bringing the bottom tax rate to the lowest level it's been in over 50 years. Under the previous government's tax plan, of course, those earning under $45,000 would not have received a single cent—not a cent! And those opposite have been consistent, because today they voted again against those taxpayers getting a single cent. Three million Australians would have missed out on a tax cut. Well, we are delivering a tax cut for every taxpayer, not just some. Because of our government, the average tax cut for average taxpayers will be that $2½ thousand.”
“We also provided funding for 50 urgent care clinics so that people can go to the midpoint between their GP and an emergency department, and all they need is their Medicare card. That is all that they need. But those opposite, of course, regard urgent care clinics as wasteful spending. Then we come to medicines—something that they opposed. They opposed the 60-day dispensing; well, we now have medicines down to $25, the same price that they were in 2004. We have free TAFE, which they've opposed as well. There'll be a vote on that in the Senate, later today, to make it permanent. We'll wait and see what those opposite will do about that, but I suspect they'll oppose that as well. They have opposed every single measure—every single one. They have also opposed the actions that we've taken to get the budget into better nick.”
“Well, we have introduced, of course, not just the tax cuts for all; we've ensured that real wages have increased five quarters in a row. When they were in office they decreased five quarters in a row—not as an accident and not because of other factors but because it was a deliberate design feature of the economic architecture of those opposite. We also have produced not one, not two, but three tranches of energy bill relief. We are delivering the largest investment into Medicare since Medicare was created. And, in the health sector, we have tripled the bulk-billing incentive, firstly for 11 million Australians; then we built on that for 25 million Australians in last night's budget with an $8½ billion injection. But it's not just that.”
“I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. He asked about people under cost-of-living pressure—the same guy who voted earlier today against tax cuts that would top up the tax cuts from last year to deliver $2½ thousand for people. That's $2½ thousand in people's pockets that they said they'd oppose before they saw it. Then they said they would roll it back, and then they called for an election—a year ago! That's how much they hated it; they hated tax cuts. This is the mob that want to cut everything to pay for $600 billion of their nuclear reactors. They want to cut education, and they want to cut health, but what they don't want to cut is people's income taxes. I'm asked about the cost of living.”
“I inform the House that the Minister for Education will be absent from question time today, fulfilling ministerial duties. The Minister for Aged Care and Minister for Sport will answer questions on his behalf.”
“Then we go to energy bill relief. We intervened in the market. Those opposite have talked a bit about gas and securing gas in the last couple of days. We intervened at the end of 2022 to make sure that we have security, to make sure that we can direct gas for domestic supply when it's needed and to make sure that we have a mandated code of conduct, not the voluntary thing that those opposite had during their so-called gas led recovery that they announced a decade ago, when nothing happened, which didn't result in anything at all. We did all that. You know who voted against it? They did. We brought parliament back, and they voted against it, like they voted against our cap on gas and coal prices. And then they had the hide to say, 'Energy prices—we care about it.' They voted against caps—”
“I went to this place that's foreign to the opposition leader, known as the National Press Club, and I put the case for tax cuts for every taxpayer, not just for some. That particularly assisted young people. It particularly assisted women. It of course made sure that some people missed out. It's difficult saying to people, 'You are going to get legislated nine grand, but you're going to get 4½ grand in your pocket. But, you know what, the country's going to be stronger for it because Middle Australia will benefit.' We did that. What these tax cuts in this legislation do is build on that, once again having a tax cut for every Australian taxpayer, not just some. Together with the measures that began this financial year, they will benefit average Australians by over $2½ thousand. That's $2½ thousand extra money in their pockets.”
“All of these measures are important, but nothing's more important to the Australian Labor Party than jobs, and we have created 1.1 million jobs on our watch, more than any government in Australian history. Average unemployment is lower than at any time for any government in the last 50 years, and we've done it because we have had a cohesive strategy going forward to strengthen the economy while looking after people, while dealing with the immediate pressures, but with our eye always on the long term. If you look at the measures, I want to go through three categories: what we've done, what we will do in our second term and what the risk is. On tax cuts, what we've done is make a difficult decision.”
“The Labor way is to get inflation down whilst supporting working people. That's why what we have done is get inflation down. We've got wages up, we've got taxes down, we've got employment growing, all of it achieved on this Treasurer's watch with the four budgets that we have produced. In addition to that, when we came to office—just to go through some of the figures—inflation had a six in front; now it's at 2.4 and falling. Wages had gone backwards five quarters in a row. Now they've gone forwards five quarters in a row. Living standards were falling. Now we see a per capita increase in living standards, making a difference for Australians. Interest rates had started to rise before the last election. Now they have started to fall, before the coming election.”
“This is a government that came to office in the middle of what have been five difficult years. We had the COVID pandemic with its long tail and the issues with supply chains that arose out of that. We then had a global inflation crisis, exacerbated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. That saw, around the industrialised world, inflation and unemployment in some countries hit double digits, in either or in both. We have New Zealand, just across the ditch, in a deep recession. And our task has been to navigate these turbulent seas whilst keeping our eye on the horizon, to navigate the circumstances and bring inflation down whilst providing cost-of-living relief, whilst making sure we didn't follow what some of the pointy-headed economists would say, which is you need unemployment up and you need people to suffer. That is not the Labor way.”
“We've seen a rare occurrence: the Treasurer speaking, followed by the shadow Treasurer actually having something to say! He didn't quite get to 30 minutes, but, after I speak, I'm looking forward to the Leader of the Opposition explaining to people why he doesn't support tax cuts for hardworking Australians. Then again, it shouldn't come as a surprise, because this time last year they were in here, firstly, saying they would oppose our tax cuts, then saying they would roll them back and then demanding an election—that was a year ago—just to stop hardworking Australians getting a tax cut. What last night's budget was about was building on the foundations that we have laid in our first term for a stronger economy in order to deliver even more in our second term.”
“They were standing in a corner and pretending that they had no responsibility. We have 25 votes in the Senate out of 76. I suggest, if people want Labor government legislation, they vote Labor in both houses when it comes to the election coming up.”
“And then, when the legislation was eventually before the Senate, the crossbenchers, including Fatima Payman, who was elected as a Labor senator but ratted on the Labor Party to sit on the crossbench, made it clear that, having received under about 0.1 per cent of the vote, she would oppose that legislation, along with other crossbench members. So be careful what you vote for when you vote Independent because you never know what you will get. What you know from us is we will stand up for the environment. The Greens political party held up that legislation and refused to vote for it month after month after month. If they had wanted to vote for it, they could have at any time. Not only did they not vote for it; there were deferrals, just like there were over housing legislation, just like there were over so many issues.”
“I thank the member for Warringah for her question. But let's be very clear about what happened with our environmental laws. We went to an election in 2022 saying we would have a national environmental protection authority. That legislation passed this House and sat over there in the Senate for month after month after month while crossbenchers tried to connect it up with a whole range of other issues that were not related to the legislation that was there. Publicly they did it. This isn't any secret here; that is what they said. They said, 'unless you take action to stop all forestry and unless you do a whole range of things' that they wanted connected to that legislation, they would not pass it.”
“We have had record funding in roads, but also there's more to do in energy, with the CopperString project and with the employment opportunities in his electorate. (Time expired)”
“I can announce today that this will allow us to progressively seal and widen the road as well in the region around Winton. That will make that possible. I'm not sure about standing orders in terms of pre-empting budget announcements, but there have probably been a few in past days. I can confirm that in tonight's budget, as well, there will be additional funding for the Barron River bridge, which has been really important in terms of connecting Cairns to the member for Kennedy's electorate. That is something that we've done—in cooperation, again, with the Queensland government. I look forward to working with the member for Kennedy, as I always have, to deliver for his electorate.”
“We are contributing over $11 billion to disaster recovery efforts right around the country, supporting long-term recovery, but we're also making important investments in his region of the world: obviously, the Bruce Highway, to which we have committed an additional $7.2 billion, taking our government's total investment in the Bruce Highway to over $17 billion going forward; the Inland Freight Route between Mungindi and Charters Towers, $800 million, which is important; the Kuranda Range Road west of Cairns, $210 million; the Peninsula Developmental Road, including the Archer River bridge, some $220 million; and, of course, the Kennedy Developmental Road as well, $97.3 million to complete the seal between the Lynd and Hughenden, where I visited with the member for Kennedy.”
“I thank the member for Kennedy for his question and for his strong and sometimes colourful advocacy for North Queensland. I travelled to his electorate to look at the Ollera Creek Bridge with the member, with the Hinchinbrook mayor, with the Queensland Premier and with the emergency services minister following flooding in February. One of the things I've been working very closely with the Queensland Premier on as well is making sure that we build back better and we don't just recommit to having things done exactly the same way, because then you get the same washaway when you have a major flood. I thank the member for his very strong advocacy. It is expected that there will be further heavy rain in days to come as well.”
“We have committed $37.5 million to maugean skate conservation, including through the successful captive breeding program, remediation and expansion of the oxygenation program in the harbour, which the science tells us is working. What you can't do, and what we will never do, is say: 'We don't care about jobs. We don't care about science. We only just back ideology.' But those opposite in the Tasmanian Greens have never seen a job they don't want to destroy. They don't support the Marinus Link project to provide renewable energy from Tasmania to the north island; that will make a difference. They're opposing wind farms in Tasmania as well, right across the board. Wherever there's a job, they're opposed to it. As a Labor Party, we will always defend jobs but we'll also defend sustainability very proudly.”
“Just on Saturday we had, through this environment minister, a $250 million announcement to expand land protection in this country so that we work there. Whether it's that, the urban rivers program or the work that we've done in the Murray-Darling Basin, we're making sure that that protection is there. Right across the board, my government is one that has led on climate and the environment, not just here but in the work that we're doing globally as well. Australia is now out of the naughty corner and back around the table, acting on climate change as part of global efforts and acting on the environment. That's why, also, we follow the science. The member referred to the issue of Macquarie Harbour.”
“What absolute nonsense from the member for Melbourne, the leader of a political party that stopped climate action the last time we were in government on this side of the House. They stopped climate action and, as a direct result, led to Tony Abbott sitting in this chair. That's what occurred. But what my government has done proudly is not just have effective climate change targets of 43 per cent by 2030 but a plan to get there through our Capacity Investment Scheme, through our Safeguard Mechanism and by working with business to make sure we get the investment in renewables which is occurring. We're making sure that we do that. Across the board, in the environmental reforms that we have put in place, we are targeting making sure that more of our lands and waters are protected.”
“On top of that we have the $1.7 billion we've produced for increased hospital spending in the next year. On top of that, of course, is our cheaper medicines policy. Now, we will make medicines even cheaper—just $25, the same price that they were way back in 2004. This year, Australians will face a very clear choice: Labor's plan to keep building or Peter Dutton's promise to cut everything. We know that the Leader of the Opposition has a record of gutting Medicare, and we know he has a plan to do it again. If you want to know what people will do, have a look at their track record. We know he's got to find $600 billion for nuclear reactors somewhere. When he cuts, the Australian people pay. The test for his budget reply is whether he comes clean on what he's going to cut to pay for his reactors.”
“Tonight's budget makes a record investment in education. We know that, when those opposite came to office in 2013, their first budget ripped $50 billion out of health and $30 billion out of public education. Yesterday, I announced our schools funding agreement with Queensland Premier David Crisafulli. This brings every single premier and chief minister to the table, to make sure that every Australian child can have the resources that they deserve so they can fulfil their potential, so they can be not left behind. It's a really important reform of which we are very proud. Tonight's budget strengthens Medicare and increases urgent care clinics. Instead of the 50 that we promised, we've delivered 87, and we're going to deliver another 50 on top of that.”
“I thank the member for Chisholm for her question. Tonight, the Treasurer will hand down his fourth budget, and it's a budget that invests in building Australia's future, a budget that helps every Australian with the cost of living, which remains our top priority. Because of the hard work that we have done, the Australian people, our economy is turning the corner. Inflation is down. Wages are up. Unemployment is low. Interest rates have started to fall. And we've achieved this the Australian way—looking after each other, working together, not copying from other countries but investing in the things that work for us. Tonight's budget will deliver new cost-of-living relief to every Australian in every part of the country. Every household and business will receive another $150 off their power bills.”
“I thank the member for his question. He speaks about division—the great divider of Australian politics. I note that, in his talk to the party room this morning, he spoke about the division in their ranks behind him. That is what he was worried about. He was worried about the undermining from those opposite, picking on Angus Taylor, picking on the shadow Treasurer.”
“I do want to conclude by expressing my gratitude to the Minister for Emergency Management, Senator McAllister. She has been quite extraordinary. She left home to go to Queensland. She was wearing a NEMA shirt because she ran out of clothes that she took away. She was borrowing things and just stayed on the ground for such a long period of time. I know that the Queensland Premier, as well as the New South Wales Premier, really appreciated her work. To everyone who has given up their time and given so freely of their hearts to help their fellow Australians, I thank you. You remind us that we're always better together. Honourable members: Hear, hear!”
“During this term, we have also established the Disaster Ready Fund, with $1 billion over five years for disaster resilience and mitigation projects; established the National Emergency Management Stockpile to provide assets like sandbags, generators and temporary accommodation; built the capability of the national aerial fleet; and funded Disaster Relief Australia to build that volunteer workforce. I also want to thank the staff at Services Australia. I went to see them at their headquarters here in Canberra at Tuggeranong. I also visited the thousand of them who were based in Brisbane, providing payments within 24 hours of the applications coming in. And in Hervey Bay, when there was nowhere for them to work, 15 of them worked out of a caravan on the ground. That showed a true commitment to public service.”
“We also provided six large generators and supplementary fuel tanks, and we provided approximately 1,200 Australian Defence Force personnel, as well as two ADF helicopters. We have kicked in the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements. As of yesterday, the figure of that contributed is in excess of $150 million. I do want to pay tribute to the workers at NEMA. Many of them are new public servants who are there serving their community. It is so deeply appreciated, and the establishment of NEMA certainly stands as a proud achievement of this government.”
“The fact that we worked so seamlessly is, I think, a credit as well to the work that has been done to establish the National Emergency Management Agency. This is something that wasn't around in 2022. The headquarters here, where I went to daily briefings as well, is doing extraordinary work, and there's the work of Brendan Moon in Queensland—a Queenslander on the ground, certainly with the knowledge that comes from that. As events were unfolding, we provided two Australian emergency helicopters, and we transported 375,000 sandbags, including more than 125,000 from the National Emergency Management Stockpile. That's a stockpile that didn't exist before we established NEMA.”
“Something that really encapsulated their spirit was that, when they lost electricity, those who still had power worked from home, and those still at the headquarters just pulled up the roller door to let the sunlight in and got on with the job. It is a spirit that says a lot about our country. I do want to thank the premiers, Premier Minns and Premier Crisafulli. There were seamless operations between the three levels of government during this period. I attended Queensland disaster meetings that had different ministers. Jenny McAllister, our Minister for Emergency Management, has almost become a de facto minister in the Crisafulli government as well, given that she sat in those meetings twice a day during that period.”
“Others were crowded into some of the meeting rooms because the classrooms had had the carpet ripped up. They still had the stench that comes with a flooding, and there is still quite a bit of repair work needing to be done. I went to Hendra to visit the headquarters of Disaster Relief Australia with the minister and local member—the member for Lilley. They were doing amazing work there. This is a veteran led organisation made up of 5,000 volunteers, with plans to build their numbers to 7,500 over the coming years. I'm pleased that my government's providing $38 million to provide them with that assistance.”
“In Lismore, I met locals working to build their community's resilience in the face of yet another natural disaster, and I was there with the member for Page, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Emergency Management. The people of Lismore have really done it tough. They've been hit time and time again, but they have stood up time and time again. And they're determined to continue to look after that local community. In Hervey Bay last week, I met workers at the council centre, along with the mayor and along with the teachers and kids at the Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School—a school that will visit Canberra. They're not deterred; they'll be here on Thursday of this week. The littlest kids, those in years 1 and 2, were being educated in the library.”
“On behalf of all Australians, I also give my thanks to everyone who worked day and night throughout this event, whether it be those people at the Gold Coast disaster and emergency centre that I travelled to, including the mayor, Tom Tate, or whether it be those at the state emergency operations centre on the Treasurer's home turf at Logan. At Tweed Heads headquarters, with the member for Richmond, I was particularly pleased to walk in and see the crew from Marrickville SES there on that day. They had driven up from near my home and they were there, helping out their SES co-volunteers—quite extraordinary! Indeed, I met people in Queensland and New South Wales who had travelled from South Australia as well and had driven all that way in order to lend a hand to people who they didn't know—quite extraordinary!”
“I sat down for lunch with them in their mess while the rain bucketed down outside, and I listened as they told me about the reality of what they were up against. Of course, that was just after the tragic crash that saw two vehicles upended and 13 of their comrades injured in the accident near Lismore when they were on their way to help the SES. These men and women were, of course, concerned about their comrades, but they were proud of them as well—proud that they were doing what they could to help their fellow Australians in such a selfless way and with such courage. We certainly wish all 13 well in their recovery after this incident. Our nation is certainly grateful for their service.”
“At the worst of times, we see the best of the Australian character. That's exactly what I witnessed firsthand during the recent storms and floods caused by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred: neighbours helping neighbours and people helping friends, but people helping strangers as well, and the extraordinary members of the Australian Defence Force working tirelessly to help their fellow Australians—so often, people they knew they'd never, ever meet. Let me tell you that communities across South-East Queensland and northern New South Wales were deeply reassured to see our men and women in uniform in place on the ground, not just in the response but, crucially, in the preparation that came before that weather event crossed the coast. In Brisbane, I had the enormous privilege of meeting some of our soldiers at the Gallipoli Barracks in Enoggera.”
“I thank the member for Kennedy not just for his contribution today but also, more importantly, for his extraordinary representation of the people of that region over 50 years. I was with the member for Kennedy last week at the bridge that had collapsed. We witnessed the extraordinary work of the Australian Defence Force in making sure that access for essential services—”
“It will be back to rising inflation; back to wages being kept deliberately low; back to aged care in crisis, bulk-billing in freefall and child care being out of reach; back to chasing manufacturing offshore; back to Australia being completely isolated on the world stage; back to secret ministries and robodebt; and back to wasting hundreds of millions of dollars on commuter car parks that weren't anywhere near train stations. At the beginning of the show, he was appointed health minister. He was so bad that he was dumped by Tony Abbott, but do you know what was worse? He was replaced by Sussan Ley. I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper .”
“We've delivered tax cuts for every single taxpayer; a cost-of-living support rollout; energy bill relief; cheaper child care; cheaper medicines; extra GP appointments; free TAFE; the largest increase in rent assistance in 30 years of 45 per cent over two increases; student debt relief for three million Australians, with more to come; the first back-to-back surpluses in two decades; and less debt—to the tune of $200 billion saved—as a result of the hard work that we have done. I'm asked about alternatives. The Leader of the Opposition was a senior minister for every day of the former government. Every Australian will remember all too well what he means when he speaks about going back.”
“I thank the member for Bennelong for his question. It was terrific to be with him in Eastwood last Saturday at the lunar new year celebrations. We have an economy that is growing. We have inflation which is down to a four-year low. We have wages that are up and pay packets that are growing at the fastest pace since 2012. Unemployment on average is the lowest it has been under any government in 50 years—in the context of a global economic crisis—with 1.1 million jobs created, more than two-thirds of which have been full time. We have the smallest gender pay gap on record, fewer days lost to industrial disputes, and a record number of small businesses and record business investment.”
“A thousand days—and thousands of workers are earning more because of same job, same pay. That is including Nicole, who I met in Queensland, who is earning more than an additional $30,000 just by being paid the same wage as the person they're working beside, doing the same job with the same experience. A thousand days—and we've delivered 1.1 million new jobs. The member for Bass is part of an operation that has delivered three policies. One, $10 billion to fund long lunches for business. I say to Australians: they'll keep asking you to dig deep so someone else can dig in—simple as that. Two, $600 billion to build nuclear reactors. There won't be any of them in Tasmania, but Tasmanian taxpayers will pay.”
“I thank the member for Bass for her question. It has, indeed, been a thousand days, and 84 per cent of taxpayers are better off because of our tax cuts. A thousand days—and $1 billion has been saved thanks to cheaper medicines. A thousand days—and there have been 1.1 million free doctor's appointments at urgent care clinics, including the one in your electorate. A thousand days—and there have been 5.8 million extra bulk-billed appointments thanks to our bulk-billing increases. A thousand days—and the upgrade of Launceston hospital was delivered by this side. A thousand days—and 2.6 million award-wage workers have better pay. A thousand days—and over one million families have on average saved $2,700 with cheaper child care as a result of our reforms. A thousand days—and 600,000 Australians are getting access to free TAFE.”
“In Veterans' Affairs, we inherited a system where literally those men and women who had defended us, our nation, our democracy—”
“I thank the member for her congratulations on our 1,000 days in office. The Leader of the Opposition, along with those opposite, wants to present himself somehow as a fresh new face during the campaign over the coming months, no doubt—just like his predecessor, Scott Morrison, did. The truth is that he was a part of it all. A thousand days ago, tomorrow, we inherited a fair bit. We inherited a crisis in aged care that had been summed up with one word: neglect. We have now done what those opposite said couldn't be done, which is to put a nurse back in nursing homes 99 per cent of the time. We're paying workers properly. Our older Australians are getting the care and dignity that they deserve. It's all in place. Those opposite said it couldn't happen.”
“We know that people have been under pressure, but that's why we've taken action. What's extraordinary is that, if the opposition had got their way, Australians would have been, on average, $7,200 worse off. If ever they sit on this side of the chamber, we know that Australians will be worse off, because they call relief 'sugar hits'. Make no mistake, if they have their way, Australians will be worse off and Australians will have to pay.”
“That is not our approach. I noticed the Leader of the Opposition this week saying, about interest rates, that the RBA governor shouldn't feel pressured one way or the other, because she can cut rates and then find out they've been cut too early. Well, I'll just leave that out there for people to read into it what they will. But we on this side of the chamber want people to be better off. We want standards of living to rise, not fall, which is why we've done the hard yards to decrease inflation and to increase wages whilst, as the Treasurer just said, having unemployment lower, on average, than any government over the last 50 years. And that's at a time when, in some of our competitive nations—advanced economies—unemployment hit double digits and inflation hit double digits. There were all sorts of problems in those countries.”
“I thank the member for Cook. I wasn't aware it was 1,000 days since we were elected. I noticed, when government changed hands last time, when government last changed hands, Tony Abbott didn't make it to his second anniversary, because all of the cuts to health and education and the ABC all came in. In spite of the massive majority that they were elected with, those opposite knocked off their own leader before the second anniversary, including this guy here. I'm asked about the cost of living. The member for Cook is now part of a show that opposed energy bill relief, because you wanted people to be worse off, I assume; opposed cheaper medicine, because the member wanted people to pay more; opposed higher wages, because the member wanted people to earn less; and opposed tax cuts, because the member wanted people to be worse off.”
“I thank the member for his question. We're strengthening Medicare; they want to cut it. We're growing wages; they want people to work longer for less. We've cut taxes for every single taxpayer, including those in the electorate of Forde; the member for Forde voted against it. We've made medicines cheaper; they voted against it multiple times. We're building new energy now; they support a plan to build nuclear power stations in the 2040s, even though AGL have made it very clear that coal-fired power stations can't keep going forever, and there will be energy shortages. We're backing a future made in Australia; they want to send jobs and industries offshore. The member for Forde's plan, and this bloke's plan—”
“The third point I make is on the reasons why there are currently four members of the Greens political party in the House of Representatives. In the member for Melbourne's case, he is there directly because the Liberal Party gave preferences to Adam Bandt, which, upon Lindsay Tanner's retirement as the member for Melbourne, saw Adam Bandt elected, and he has continued to serve since.”
“I'll make four points. The first point is, you're quite right, that, within this chamber, leaders and ministers can't be asked about decisions to be made by political parties. The question clearly went to that. I refer to previous answers made by prime ministers, ministers and leaders of political parties that those decisions are a matter for the political parties. The second point I make is to refer to your comments about the concern about some of the language in the question. I just refer to Director-General of ASIO Mike Burgess's comments about turning the heat down wherever possible. We all have a responsibility to do that. I think that it is in Australia's interests that that occur. I say that consistently.”