Senator GALLAGHER (Australian Capital Territory—Minister for the Public Service, Minister for Finance, Minister for Women, Manager of Government Business in the Senate and Vice-President of the Executive Council) (14:00): I welcome the opportunity to talk about Labor's economic plan to address the cost of living crisis that we inherited from a government that had wasted a decade, that had not dealt with the policy challenges, that had their heads in the sand and that used the budget like it was money made available for the National Party. That's what we are fixing. We accept that businesses are under a lot of pressure. They haven't had an energy policy for the last 10 years. There were 22 failed policies under your government when you were in power. That's what small business is saying to us. Yes, there are challenges, but we need to deal with them, and Labor's economic plan does exactly that. In dealing with the cost of living crisis, we have made submissions to the Fair Work Commission to make sure that working people, those on the minimum wage, actually get a decent pay rise. We have extended some of the pandemic payments that your mob had ended or were going to end and we've kept them going. We will debate this week the Climate Change Bill to put in place the regulatory and legislative framework to deal with the impacts— Senator Hughes interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Minister, please resume your seat. I'm running the Senate, and I will call senators when I'm good and ready, thank you, Senator Hughes. Senator Hume: I rise on a point of order. We are a minute into a two-minute answer and the minister hasn't answered the question about the effects of inflation on small businesses, and specifically about the potential for hyper inflation. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Senator Hume. I believe Senator Gallagher is relevant. Senator GALLAGHER: In response to the second part, the forecast for inflation was detailed in the Treasurer's July economic update statement. But I am explaining to the shadow minister for finance exactly what we are doing to put downward pressure on costs on businesses and households. I can go through it again. We've got child care, we've got cheaper medicines coming in, we have a bring forward the training places to deal with the skills crisis that small business are also discussing with us, after years of not dealing with workforce shortages and the skills training to make sure that young people and older workers have the skills that they need for the jobs of the future. They are just some of the things we have done in three months, as opposed to your nine years of inaction. T he PRESIDENT: Before I call Senator Hume for a supplementary question, I remind those on my right that Senator Hume has the right to put her question in silence. I struggled to hear her question.