Senator WONG (South Australia—Minister for Foreign Affairs and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (14:58): I thank the senator for his question. It gives me the opportunity to remind him where inflation was when we came to government and how much higher it was under him. Senator Birmingham interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Senator Birmingham, you've asked the question. Senator WONG: It also gives me the opportunity to remind him that Senator Gallagher and the Treasurer have turned Liberal deficits into Labor surpluses. I would remind him of these facts. Senator Watt: When you were Minister for Finance, what was inflation under you, Senator Birmingham? Senator Birmingham: Lower than most comparable economies. The PRESIDENT: Order, Senator Watt and Senator Birmingham! Senator WONG: It also gives me the opportunity to remind him of the various cost-of-living measures that he and his colleagues voted against. It gives me the opportunity to remind him that they were going to go to an election because they so opposed the revamp of the stage 3 tax cuts. They didn't want all Australians to get a tax cut. It gives me the opportunity to remind him that, under the government of which he was a part, low wages were a deliberate design feature of the Australian economy. I would say to the Leader of the Opposition: if you truly are interested in looking at Australian's cost of living, if you're truly interested in backing in support for Australians in the time of rising costs of living, do you know what you could do? You could stop doing what Mr Dutton tells you to do. That's what you could do. You could stop doing what he tells you to do— Senator Hume interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Senator Hume! Senator WONG: because that bloke always want to divide and always wants to oppose, even when it's in the national interest. The PRESIDENT: Just a moment, Senator Birmingham. Senator O'Sullivan, I am tired of calling you to order and I'm tired of calling you to order, Senator Hume. I've asked you a number of times to listen in respectful silence. Senator Birmingham, first supplementary?