QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE: TAKE NOTE OF ANSWERS
Senator COX (Western Australia) (15:19): The focus of the opposition in today's question time was on things they actually didn't do when they were in government, which is surprising. Three hundred and seventy-three homes are all they built when they were in government. Our budget that was handed down by our treasurer in the other place the other night was a responsible budget.
It was a budget that focused on three things. It focused on resilience, relief and reform. They are important things to ensure that we are delivering more cost-of-living help and building a more productive economy and a fairer tax system.
Getting lectures from the opposition, from 'High Taxes' Hume and co over there— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Cox— Senator COX: I withdraw. But we're not going to take lectures from the opposition around a better tax system when they went to the last election talking about higher taxes. Now, on a fairer housing market—you saw an absolutely disgraceful display, Deputy President, when Senator Walker was on her feet in this chamber asking a question, as a young Labor senator, and was, disgracefully, yelled down by those opposite.
Young people sitting in this gallery were nodding about the housing benefit they will now have access to because of the policies that were announced in our budget on Tuesday night. It is disgraceful that this party who claims to be the tail that is being wagged by the dog over there, in Pauline Hanson's One Nation, is trying to lecture us about a more sustainable budget.
It's ridiculous. Tax cuts, housing and fuel were the focus because of the conflict in the Middle East. That is weighing heavily on our economy.
You can't disagree with any of that. And you are tone deaf, absolutely tone deaf, to the compounding cost-of-living pressures that Australians are under. For months you've sat in this place and concentrated on yourselves and haven't even listened to the Australian people.
That is why your base has cracked. That's why she increased her margin in Farrer in the by-election. That's because of what you've done—navel-gazing.
The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Cox, please refer to people by their correct title. Senator COX: I did—Senator Hanson. I was referring to the party.
The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: No, you pointed across the chamber. Senator COX: I'm sorry, do I have the call, or does Senator Hanson— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: I didn't ask her to withdraw, Senator Wong. Senator COX: You were correcting me.
The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: I just said, 'Please refer to people by their correct title.' Senator Wong: On a point of order, Deputy President, I didn't hear—I may have missed it. But generally the chair picks that up when someone refers to someone by a different title, not the word 'you'. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: She pointed across the chamber and used the word 'she'.
I think it is more usual in this place to go through the chair and to use people's names, Senator Wong. To be honest, that is the way most presidents would have perceived the rules. Senator Cox, you have the call.
Senator COX: I will talk about the reforms that our party have made in Medicare and our investment in health and ageing. Our aged-care budget, and the announcements made by Minister Rae in the lead-up to the budget, is about our investment in older Australians. We're putting the 'care' back into aged care after years and years of neglect.
The Labor Party are responsible for building Medicare, and we will continue to invest in strengthening Medicare. That is our commitment to the Australian people. We have done that, and in my home state of Western Australia we have now made 14 urgent care clinics permanent.
That is a game changer in our home state, is it not, Senator Whiteaker? For us as mums, when our children are sick, to be able to go to an urgent care clinic is amazing. We stand by this budget, and we will continue to do the work for the Australian people.