Albanese on Labor’s one thousand days in office
Following a dixer to the treasurer on his “responsible economic management”, Albanese gets asked if – 1,000 days since he was elected – he’ll apologise to the public for “bad decisions and wrong priorities”.
The PM makes a jab at how long 1,000 days can be in politics.
I was not aware it was 1,000 days since we were elected. When government changed hands last time, Tony Abbott did not make it to his second anniversary because all of the cuts to health and education and the ABC all came in, and 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.
Key events
Question time ends
Our last question is a dixer to the PM on cost of living (no surprises there).
And with that question time is over – maybe for the last time before the election.
Andrew Wilkie asks why Tasmania is ‘allowed to slow-walk’ rental reforms
Independent MP Andrew Wilkie is up next, and asks the housing minister Clare O’Neil:
In 2023, National Cabinet agreed on nine reforms under a better deal for renters. Both National Shelter and the tenants union note that in Tasmania the state government is not pursuing six of the nine reforms so why is the Tasmanian government allowed to slow-walk these reforms and will the federal government inject some urgency into nationally consistent protections for renters?
O’Neil says that the latest data that she has from Tasmania is:
Tasmania reported that they are complete on seven of nine of their requirements and two of nine are in progress.
Wilkie is shaking his head at that update from Tassie.
O’Neil says Wilkie’s data from the shelter and tenants union is a few months older than what she has, but will sit down with him and push the state to move faster.
Albanese asked again about ‘bad decisions’ and ‘wrong priorities’
Liberal MP Bridget Archer is asking the question this time – her preamble goes to housing, mortgage and rental stress, but her question again goes to the PM’s “bad decisions” and “wrong priorities”.
But as we know here, when the question goes broadly to why the PM is a “weak leader”, the PM can take the question largely where he likes.
Albanese starts off on the stage three tax cuts the government changed, Medicare urgent clinics and childcare.
With 48 seconds left on the answer, Archer raises a point of order and says he hasn’t mentioned housing. (Milton Dick mentions the broadness of the question) before Albanese stands up again and says:
I will tell you what will happen with housing … [the Coalition] have the free lunches, the nuclear reactors and a third policy, cuts to pay for it – including cutting the Housing Australia Future Fund, less money for public and social housing.
Labor is asked why petrol prices are higher in some regions
From the crossbench, Andrew Gee (formerly a Nationals MP) asks about petrol prices in his electorate. He says petrol prices in Mudgee are 30c per litre higher than other parts of the region.
Jim Chalmers says he’ll take up the charge:
Happy to take that up with the ACCC. The ACCC does have an important role when it comes to monitoring petrol prices and from time to time there is a risk that petrol stations, particularly in the regions, they can do the wrong thing and when about doing the wrong thing we should be reporting them to the ACCC to make sure it is not happening.
Education minister Jason Clare on ‘free lunches’
The next dixer goes to education minister, Jason Clare, again on education and the childcare bill passing.
Clare’s reference to the Liberals’ lunch policy has a bit more energy, and is met with an uproar across parliament.
They said they were opposed to cutting student debt by 20 per cent and I promise you I’m not making this up. Their argument for opposing is this: there are no free lunches in economics. It turns out that there is. But only for the bosses.
A bit of taxpayer-funded chicken, stuffed in a duck, stuffed in a turkey, which is a perfect analogy for this policy because I think most Australians will think it is stuffed.
Who doesn’t love a turducken …
Look, don’t judge me. It’s the last sitting day of the fortnight.
PM questioned on migration numbers
We’re heading into immigration territory now. The next question from Liberal MP Zoe McKenzie asks:
The prime minister promised he would halve migration numbers. Instead, he is bringing 1.8 million more people to Australia over five years during a housing crisis with higher rents and fewer homes being built. Why won’t the prime minister apologise for his week leadership and wrong priorities?
Albanese doesn’t even touch migration in the first 30ish seconds of his answer.
1,000 days ago tomorrow we did inherit a fair bit. We inherited a crisis in aged care that had been summed up with one word, neglect.
Michael Sukkar takes a crack at making a point of order on relevance, but Milton Dick rules the PM is in order because the actual question from the opposition goes to Albanese’s leadership and priorities (ie very broad).
Albanese on Labor’s one thousand days in office
Following a dixer to the treasurer on his “responsible economic management”, Albanese gets asked if – 1,000 days since he was elected – he’ll apologise to the public for “bad decisions and wrong priorities”.
The PM makes a jab at how long 1,000 days can be in politics.
I was not aware it was 1,000 days since we were elected. When government changed hands last time, Tony Abbott did not make it to his second anniversary because all of the cuts to health and education and the ABC all came in, and 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.
Albanese defends cost-of-living measures
Liberal MP Bert van Manen gets the next question – he starts off on the promised $275 energy bill reduction but then broadens out the question, saying the cost of living has increased nearly 20%.
The broad question means Albanese can give the full array of Labor’s policies – Medicare, childcare, etc.
He also brings up our first lunch reference … but the energy on the last sitting day is feeling a little lower than earlier in the week.
We have given early educators a 15% pay rise. They mock it and call it waste. We have rescued aged care from crisis. Those opposite presided over a system that was summed up in one word: neglect. We are delivering on the cost of living. They only care about their cost of lunching.
Member for Moreton, Graham Perrett, gets kicked out
Hot off his valedictory speech earlier this week, Perrett was booted out of the chamber during a dixer on Medicare.
He was sent out under 94a by the Speaker for making a loud comment – and left with massive applause and cheering from the Labor benches.
The Queensland MP is finishing up after two decades in the chamber.
Labor asked if it will expand universal service obligation in regional mobile network
The first crossbench question goes to Rebekha Sharkie, who asks the communications minister:
90% of Australians have a smartphone. Will the government expand the universal service obligation to the mobile phone network in the regions and if not why not?
For some context – the universal service obligation is a consumer protection that supports access to phone services and pay phones. The government says Telstra is responsible for delivering the USO.
Michelle Rowland says she agrees with Sharkie that there is a lack of flexibility with the USO and is undertaking consultation on it.
Telstra is designated as the universal service provider. Basically, this is a requirement that has not changed under the current regime since it was put in place. It basically applies to landline services and take it on a reading are pretty basic data service. The intention of the national broadband network when it was conceived by Labor was to ensure not only that we had broadband capacity across Australia but that we had a wholesale access network vertically integrated that would provide competition into the regions.
Albanese: ‘we have a responsibility’ to avoid inflammatory language
Anthony Albanese stands up to answer the question.
I will just refer to the director general of Asio about turning the heat down [on inflammatory language] where possible. We have a responsibility to do that and it is in Australia’s interest that occur and I say that consistently.
He also adds:
The Queensland LNP made a decision to put the Queensland Greens into the Queensland [parliament] by giving them preferences and getting them elected.
Michael Sukkar says it’s “not a reflection on any individual member. It was on the Greens political party”.
A few Labor MPs called out following the question saying, “says the party that takes One Nation preferences”.
Zali Steggall then enters the debate:
“The question included a reference to a party, completely separate to me, but it is a reflection on its members … I was required to withdraw when it was a reflection on policy and yet here it is a reflection on a party, the members of a party, and that is not contrary to the standing orders.”
She’s referring to when she told Peter Dutton to “stop being racist” and was asked to withdraw that comment.
Julian Leeser accuses Greens party of being ‘racist’ and ‘antisemitic’
The second question comes again from Julian Leeser, who accuses the Greens of being “racist” and “antisemitic”.
Greens leader Adam Bandt immediately stands up, calling it a “clear reflection” on the party’s members. He says it’s a disorderly statement and asks for it to be withdrawn.
Albanese takes cost-of-living dixer
The first dixer is a real set-up for the tone of the election campaign (we still don’t know when it’ll be).
How is the Albanese Labor government building Australia’s future to ensure that no one is held back and no one is left behind?
It’s Labor’s slogan they used in 2022 as well, and Albanese uses the question to go down all the cost of living measures they’ve done – including passing the childcare three day guarantee through the House just before QT.
