Question Time

Federal Budget

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS (Black—Leader of the Opposition) (14:16): My question is to the Premier. Did the Premier ask the Prime Minister to provide cost-of-living relief to South Australians in Labor's federal budget? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: Labor's federal budget failed to deliver a single cost-of-living measure for South Australians, their families, households and businesses, despite warning that power prices will skyrocket by up to 56 per cent over the next two years.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Treasurer) (14:17): I am pleased to report to the parliament that we did engage with the commonwealth in between the time of the recent federal election and the delivery of the federal budget last Tuesday night. I am also pleased to say that there were at least two very important cost-of-living relief measures that were provided in the federal budget.

There are millions of Australians who rely on, to varying degrees, sometimes a very significant degree, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. It was a very welcome move, I think, that the federal budget included a lot more money to provide far greater subsidies for many more medicines for Australians. That is really important particularly for those people on low and fixed incomes, including those people on low and fixed incomes who are receiving those from the federal government.

I was also pleased to see that the federal government made good on their election commitment to provide substantially increased support for parents utilising childcare arrangements. Once again, millions of families will receive an important boost in what is a very significant cost. I think we can all agree across all sides of the chamber that not only is it done in an effort to try to reduce the cost of accessing child care and what that does to a family budget but it is also designed as a major Labor productivity measure and that is to try to get hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of primary caregivers back into the workforce or, if they are not re-entering the workforce, if they are already in the workforce, enable them to participate to a much greater extent in the labour force.

They are two very significant measures, costing the federal budget billions of dollars over the forward estimates and that will mean more money in the pockets of Australians, including South Australians.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: I note that there are members interjecting. They don't believe that a substantial reduction, it seems, a substantial reduction in the price of medicine—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Chaffey is called to order.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: —which is provided under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Flinders!

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: It seems that they don't believe that that will make a difference to millions of Australians. Well, I beg to differ because I know in my electorate with a significant proportion of adults who are retired and/or on low and fixed incomes it will make a substantial difference.

I also know that for many other families in my electorate, just like in many other parts of South Australia, working families with young children seeking to access child care, a substantial increase in childcare subsidies will make a significant difference both to the family budget but, as I explained before, also allowing a primary caregiver—let's be honest, usually, not exclusively, but usually women—to get back into the workforce or to participate more greatly in the workforce. That is a good thing and I am very glad that the federal budget delivered those measures.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The leader has the call.