QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
Mr ALBANESE (Grayndler—Prime Minister) (14:02): We understand that Australians are under financial pressure, which is why we're not just identifying issues. We're actually doing something about it. In the Senate right now, there are bells ringing.
And the bell is tolling for all those opposite, because those opposite, all three right-wing parties, are voting in the Senate against tax cuts for every Australian—for every Australian worker. Honourable members interjecting— Mr ALBANESE: Just next week, there'll be a tax cut for all 14 million Australian taxpayers. We know that that is a change that was not only opposed by those opposite.
They didn't just vote against it; they said they'd repeal it. We know that there'll be a real increase in the minimum wage. We know that those opposite have never supported minimum-wage workers.
We know there's expansion of paid parental leave to a full six months. We know, as well, that from next week our 137 Medicare urgent care clinics will be made permanent. This is a time of significant global uncertainty.
The war in Iran has caused the biggest spike in the price of petrol and diesel in history. But Australia has shown remarkable resilience. In the data that's out just this month, economic growth is up, business investment is up, inflation is down—and today unemployment is down.
Those opposite talk Australia down at every opportunity. They're defined by what they're against. The last time they asked a question about the impact of this global crisis from the Strait of Hormuz was, appropriately, 1 April.
Since then, there's been nothing to see here—just crickets from those opposite—even though we have more fuel in Australia today than there was on 28 February, even though prior to Easter they were saying it wasn't a case of whether there'd be rationing but what date or why it hasn't been done already. That was what they were saying. The opposition have not asked a single question about this.
They talk Australia down. We build Australia up. The SPEAKER: Noise levels were a little too loud in that answer, so I'm going to ask everyone to lower their interjections.