Division Description Changes — Matters of Urgency — Cost of Living — 14th Nov 2023

Change	Division
senate vote 2023-11-14#4 Edited by mackay staff on 2023-12-08 15:46:32	Title ~~Matters of Urgency — Cost of Living~~ Matters of Urgency - Cost of Living - Reduce government spending Description ~~<p class="speaker">Sue Lines</p>~~ ~~<p>I inform the Senate that I have received the following letter under standing order 75, dated 14 November 2023, from Senator Babet:</p>~~ The majority voted against a [motion](https://www.openaustralia.org.au/senate/?id=2023-11-14.109.2): *> That, in the opinion of** the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency:* > >> Since the 2022 election, the Albanese Labor government has committed billions in spending, which contributes to inflationary pressure and drives up interest rates. Tradies are in short supply, reducing the amount of houses that can be built. >> *>> Almost half of Australian mortgage holders are now in mortgage stress. The government must reduce spe*nding and cancel or delay unnecessary and wasteful projects, such as Snowy 2.0, to temper inflation, build more houses and reduce mortgage stress. <p class="italic">Pursuant to standing order 75, I give notice that today the United Australia Party propose to move "That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency:</p> <p class="italic">Since the 2022 election, the Albanese Labor government has committed billions in spending, which contributes to inflationary pressure and drives up interest rates. Tradies are in short supply, reducing the amount of houses that can be built.</p> <p class="italic">Almost half of Australian mortgage holders are now in mortgage stress. The government must reduce spending and cancel or delay unnecessary and wasteful projects, such as Snowy 2.0, to temper inflation, build more houses and reduce mortgage stress."</p> ~~<p>Is the proposal supported?</p>~~ ~~<p class="italic"> <i>More than the number of senators required by the standing orders having risen in their places—</i></p>~~ ~~<p>With the concurrence of the Senate, the clerks will set the clock in line with the informal arrangements made by the whips.</p>~~ ~~<p class="speaker">Ralph Babet</p>~~ ~~<p>I move:</p>~~ ~~<p class="italic">That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency:</p>~~ <p class="italic">Since the 2022 election, the Albanese Labor government has committed billions in spending, which contributes to inflationary pressure and drives up interest rates. Tradies are in short supply, reducing the amount of houses that can be built.</p> <p class="italic">Almost half of Australian mortgage holders are now in mortgage stress. The government must reduce spending and cancel or delay unnecessary and wasteful projects, such as Snowy 2.0, to temper inflation, build more houses and reduce mortgage stress.</p> <p>I rise today to speak up for the millions of Australians who are struggling to make ends meet. We've seen 13 consecutive interest rate rises, and the government continues to, in my opinion, shirk responsibility. They blame everything from the war in Ukraine to the COVID pandemic while hardworking Australians are on struggle street.</p> <p>Over just 18 months, the cost of servicing a median Victorian mortgage has increased by—guess how much—$18,000 a year. How many families have a lazy 18 grand lying around just to keep a roof over their heads? That's nearly 350 bucks every single week. It is no wonder that the lines at the food bank are unfortunately growing. Minimum loan repayments have increased from 30 per cent, approximately, to a staggering 50 per cent of the average Victorian wage. Half of their money is being spent to pay off the mortgage—absolutely massive. The number of Victorian calls to the National Debt Helpline is up 40 per cent just this year. Many hardworking Aussies face the prospect of losing their home or never reaching that great Aussie dream of homeownership. Taxes, the mortgage, rent, power bills and groceries are robbing Australians of their hard-earned wages.</p> <p>At a time when Australian workers are struggling, the Labor Party now wants to hit them while they are down. The closing loopholes IR bill proposes what is effectively wage theft. Hardworking Australian casual employees will be forced to become full-time or part-time employees, losing their flexibility and a generous 25 per cent casual loading. Employers will face hefty fines for employing a casual in a way that does not fit this new definition. The data shows that casual employees can earn around six per cent more than full-time or part-time employees when all entitlements are taken into consideration. A six per cent pay cut for many a casual employee is a bitter pill to swallow. If the Labor Party is successful with this bill, the financial loss on the average pay could be more than five grand a year. One can only assume that the Labor Party—backed by their union mates, obviously—is determined to destroy casual employment and help to undermine the small-business sector.</p> <p>When it comes to inflation drivers, there is a massive elephant in the room, and that elephant is Treasurer Jim Chalmers, the Labor Party and, obviously, the big spending budgets. Mortgage holders are being unfairly punished for inflationary pressure, but the government itself is contributing to it, and it needs to stop. The flames of inflation are being fanned by higher levels of immigration and massive government spending on wasteful and unneeded infrastructure projects. People are having to cut back on essentials and work a second job just to afford a roof over their head. Meanwhile, the government continues to spend like a drunken sailor.</p> <p>Last week the International Monetary Fund warned that Australian mortgage holders will suffer even more pain if federal and state governments don't wind back their own reckless spending. Snowy Hydro 2.0's budget has blown out sixfold to $12 billion at last count, and the government wants mums and dads with mortgages to pay for this mismanagement. If the government are serious about getting inflation under control, they need to tighten their belts and stop pumping hundreds of billions of dollars of taxpayers' money into the economy.</p> <p>If the government did cut some of their inflation-producing multibillion dollar projects, do you know what would happen? Tradesmen would suddenly become available to build houses. That's what would happen. It's almost like the government could make headway on two of the greatest challenges faced by our nation—inflation and the housing crisis—if the government did this and just made some hard decisions about their own behaviour. Australians are, unfortunately, sick to the back teeth of hearing Treasurer Jim Chalmers blame the previous government for his own economic woes.</p> <p>Obviously, we all—well, most of us here in this place—would like to see the government urgently cancel or delay unnecessary projects so that inflation can be brought back under control and so that Australian householders can finally get some interest rate relief. During the election campaign they told us that it wouldn't be easy under Prime Minister Albanese. In time, it seems like they have potentially been proven to be right.</p> ~~<p class="speaker">Fatima Payman</p>~~ <p>It's great to be here to speak on this urgency motion raised by Senator Babet, and I thank him for raising it. While we will agree about the importance of addressing the cost of living and not adding to inflation, we oppose this motion because our approach on these matters is responsible and measured. That's right: responsible and measured.</p> <p>The Albanese government is working for Australia every day. We know Australians are doing it tough. World events outside of our control have caused real challenges, but Labor doesn't shy away from the challenges. Our approach has been to ease the pressure through targeted cost-of-living relief without adding to inflation. When it comes to responsible financial management—as the motion states—to temper inflation, this is also something the Albanese government is firmly committed to. When we were elected in 2022, we inherited a budget in deep structural deficit. We all remember being more than a trillion dollars in debt with nothing to show for it, absolutely nothing. That is the legacy of the former Liberal-National government. In contrast, Labor's approach to fiscal management has been disciplined and prudent. Yes, you heard it: disciplined and prudent.</p> <p>We want to improve the quality of the government's spending, ensure taxpayers' money is spent effectively and steer the economy away from inflation. We returned 87 per cent of revenue upgrades across two budgets, an important redirection from the previous government's dismal 40 per cent average. This isn't just talk. A total of $17.8 billion—yes, that's with a 'B'—of spending in the May budget will be redirected towards high-priority government initiatives, in addition to the $22 billion in savings from the October budget.</p> <p>The Albanese government received strong endorsements from international ratings agency Fitch, who reaffirmed our AAA credit rating. Fitch's statement aligns with the IMF's backing, with both recognising our efforts in addressing inflation. Australia is one of only nine countries to be rated AAA by all three major credit-rating agencies, and this was achieved for the first time under the last Labor government.</p> <p>Our strategy of budget restraint, economic capacity investments and targeted cost-of-living relief is easing inflationary pressures. The most recent CPI proves that our 10-point plan is working. The ABS data shows that without the government's policies for child care, electricity and rent the CPI would have been around half of a percentage point higher throughout the year. Our primary focus is rolling out cost-of-living assistance, which, as I've just highlighted, is directly easing inflation. The ABS statistics disprove the premise of this motion. The government can walk and chew gum at the same time, and we have a responsibility to ease the pressure on Australian families where we can.</p> <p>I know that one of the biggest challenges facing Australians right now is housing. Whether they're mortgage holders or renters, interest rate rises have put a lot of pressure on families. The Albanese government has put in place short-, medium- and long-term plans to address the challenges we're facing. With the passing of the Housing Australia Future Fund legislation, we are delivering the biggest investment in social and affordable housing in more than a decade. The $10 billion fund will create a secure and ongoing pipeline of funding for social and affordable rental housing, fulfilling the commitment the government made to the Australian people. We are working with states and territories on this issue, and I'm really proud of what this government is doing to turn the tide, despite the many roadblocks raised by those opposite. In my home state of Western Australia, in particular, the Cook government has recently announced even more steps to address the housing crisis.</p> <p>Before I wrap up, this month we've tripled the bulk-billing incentive to support 11.6 million Australians, including children, pensioners and other concession card holders, because we know that there is much work to do to continue easing the pressure on Australians, and we're getting on with the job.</p> ~~<p class='motion-notice motion-notice-truncated'>Long debate text truncated.</p>~~

~~Sue Lines~~
~~I inform the Senate that I have received the following letter under standing order 75, dated 14 November 2023, from Senator Babet:~~
The majority voted against a [motion](https://www.openaustralia.org.au/senate/?id=2023-11-14.109.2):
> *That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency:*
>
>> *Since the 2022 election, the Albanese Labor government has committed billions in spending, which contributes to inflationary pressure and drives up interest rates. Tradies are in short supply, reducing the amount of houses that can be built.*
>>
>> *Almost half of Australian mortgage holders are now in mortgage stress. The government must reduce spending and cancel or delay unnecessary and wasteful projects, such as Snowy 2.0, to temper inflation, build more houses and reduce mortgage stress.*
Pursuant to standing order 75, I give notice that today the United Australia Party propose to move "That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency:
Since the 2022 election, the Albanese Labor government has committed billions in spending, which contributes to inflationary pressure and drives up interest rates. Tradies are in short supply, reducing the amount of houses that can be built.
Almost half of Australian mortgage holders are now in mortgage stress. The government must reduce spending and cancel or delay unnecessary and wasteful projects, such as Snowy 2.0, to temper inflation, build more houses and reduce mortgage stress."
~~Is the proposal supported?~~
~~ More than the number of senators required by the standing orders having risen in their places—~~
~~With the concurrence of the Senate, the clerks will set the clock in line with the informal arrangements made by the whips.~~
~~Ralph Babet~~
~~I move:~~
~~That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency:~~
Since the 2022 election, the Albanese Labor government has committed billions in spending, which contributes to inflationary pressure and drives up interest rates. Tradies are in short supply, reducing the amount of houses that can be built.
Almost half of Australian mortgage holders are now in mortgage stress. The government must reduce spending and cancel or delay unnecessary and wasteful projects, such as Snowy 2.0, to temper inflation, build more houses and reduce mortgage stress.
I rise today to speak up for the millions of Australians who are struggling to make ends meet. We've seen 13 consecutive interest rate rises, and the government continues to, in my opinion, shirk responsibility. They blame everything from the war in Ukraine to the COVID pandemic while hardworking Australians are on struggle street.
Over just 18 months, the cost of servicing a median Victorian mortgage has increased by—guess how much—$18,000 a year. How many families have a lazy 18 grand lying around just to keep a roof over their heads? That's nearly 350 bucks every single week. It is no wonder that the lines at the food bank are unfortunately growing. Minimum loan repayments have increased from 30 per cent, approximately, to a staggering 50 per cent of the average Victorian wage. Half of their money is being spent to pay off the mortgage—absolutely massive. The number of Victorian calls to the National Debt Helpline is up 40 per cent just this year. Many hardworking Aussies face the prospect of losing their home or never reaching that great Aussie dream of homeownership. Taxes, the mortgage, rent, power bills and groceries are robbing Australians of their hard-earned wages.
At a time when Australian workers are struggling, the Labor Party now wants to hit them while they are down. The closing loopholes IR bill proposes what is effectively wage theft. Hardworking Australian casual employees will be forced to become full-time or part-time employees, losing their flexibility and a generous 25 per cent casual loading. Employers will face hefty fines for employing a casual in a way that does not fit this new definition. The data shows that casual employees can earn around six per cent more than full-time or part-time employees when all entitlements are taken into consideration. A six per cent pay cut for many a casual employee is a bitter pill to swallow. If the Labor Party is successful with this bill, the financial loss on the average pay could be more than five grand a year. One can only assume that the Labor Party—backed by their union mates, obviously—is determined to destroy casual employment and help to undermine the small-business sector.
When it comes to inflation drivers, there is a massive elephant in the room, and that elephant is Treasurer Jim Chalmers, the Labor Party and, obviously, the big spending budgets. Mortgage holders are being unfairly punished for inflationary pressure, but the government itself is contributing to it, and it needs to stop. The flames of inflation are being fanned by higher levels of immigration and massive government spending on wasteful and unneeded infrastructure projects. People are having to cut back on essentials and work a second job just to afford a roof over their head. Meanwhile, the government continues to spend like a drunken sailor.
Last week the International Monetary Fund warned that Australian mortgage holders will suffer even more pain if federal and state governments don't wind back their own reckless spending. Snowy Hydro 2.0's budget has blown out sixfold to $12 billion at last count, and the government wants mums and dads with mortgages to pay for this mismanagement. If the government are serious about getting inflation under control, they need to tighten their belts and stop pumping hundreds of billions of dollars of taxpayers' money into the economy.
If the government did cut some of their inflation-producing multibillion dollar projects, do you know what would happen? Tradesmen would suddenly become available to build houses. That's what would happen. It's almost like the government could make headway on two of the greatest challenges faced by our nation—inflation and the housing crisis—if the government did this and just made some hard decisions about their own behaviour. Australians are, unfortunately, sick to the back teeth of hearing Treasurer Jim Chalmers blame the previous government for his own economic woes.
Obviously, we all—well, most of us here in this place—would like to see the government urgently cancel or delay unnecessary projects so that inflation can be brought back under control and so that Australian householders can finally get some interest rate relief. During the election campaign they told us that it wouldn't be easy under Prime Minister Albanese. In time, it seems like they have potentially been proven to be right.
~~Fatima Payman~~
It's great to be here to speak on this urgency motion raised by Senator Babet, and I thank him for raising it. While we will agree about the importance of addressing the cost of living and not adding to inflation, we oppose this motion because our approach on these matters is responsible and measured. That's right: responsible and measured.
The Albanese government is working for Australia every day. We know Australians are doing it tough. World events outside of our control have caused real challenges, but Labor doesn't shy away from the challenges. Our approach has been to ease the pressure through targeted cost-of-living relief without adding to inflation. When it comes to responsible financial management—as the motion states—to temper inflation, this is also something the Albanese government is firmly committed to. When we were elected in 2022, we inherited a budget in deep structural deficit. We all remember being more than a trillion dollars in debt with nothing to show for it, absolutely nothing. That is the legacy of the former Liberal-National government. In contrast, Labor's approach to fiscal management has been disciplined and prudent. Yes, you heard it: disciplined and prudent.
We want to improve the quality of the government's spending, ensure taxpayers' money is spent effectively and steer the economy away from inflation. We returned 87 per cent of revenue upgrades across two budgets, an important redirection from the previous government's dismal 40 per cent average. This isn't just talk. A total of $17.8 billion—yes, that's with a 'B'—of spending in the May budget will be redirected towards high-priority government initiatives, in addition to the $22 billion in savings from the October budget.
The Albanese government received strong endorsements from international ratings agency Fitch, who reaffirmed our AAA credit rating. Fitch's statement aligns with the IMF's backing, with both recognising our efforts in addressing inflation. Australia is one of only nine countries to be rated AAA by all three major credit-rating agencies, and this was achieved for the first time under the last Labor government.
Our strategy of budget restraint, economic capacity investments and targeted cost-of-living relief is easing inflationary pressures. The most recent CPI proves that our 10-point plan is working. The ABS data shows that without the government's policies for child care, electricity and rent the CPI would have been around half of a percentage point higher throughout the year. Our primary focus is rolling out cost-of-living assistance, which, as I've just highlighted, is directly easing inflation. The ABS statistics disprove the premise of this motion. The government can walk and chew gum at the same time, and we have a responsibility to ease the pressure on Australian families where we can.
I know that one of the biggest challenges facing Australians right now is housing. Whether they're mortgage holders or renters, interest rate rises have put a lot of pressure on families. The Albanese government has put in place short-, medium- and long-term plans to address the challenges we're facing. With the passing of the Housing Australia Future Fund legislation, we are delivering the biggest investment in social and affordable housing in more than a decade. The $10 billion fund will create a secure and ongoing pipeline of funding for social and affordable rental housing, fulfilling the commitment the government made to the Australian people. We are working with states and territories on this issue, and I'm really proud of what this government is doing to turn the tide, despite the many roadblocks raised by those opposite. In my home state of Western Australia, in particular, the Cook government has recently announced even more steps to address the housing crisis.
Before I wrap up, this month we've tripled the bulk-billing incentive to support 11.6 million Australians, including children, pensioners and other concession card holders, because we know that there is much work to do to continue easing the pressure on Australians, and we're getting on with the job.
~~Long debate text truncated.~~