Senator GALLAGHER (Australian Capital Territory—Minister for Finance, Minister for the Public Service, Minister for Women, Minister for Government Services and Manager of Government Business in the Senate) (14:27): I thank Senator O'Neill for a question on the economy because those on this side of the chamber understand how important a strong economy is for delivering services and improving living standards for all Australians. I take this opportunity to remind those opposite that, when we came to office, we inherited huge deficits, $1 trillion of Liberal debt, high inflation, falling real wages and falling living standards. That is the situation that we inherited. Senator O'Neill is right to draw our attention to the International Monetary Fund's report on Australia's economy, including on our budget and fiscal strategy. It is a powerful endorsement of the approach that we have taken. Inflation is around a third of its peak. Debt is down. Real wages are growing. Unemployment is low. We've seen the creation of more than 1.2 million jobs. Senator Ruston: In the public sector. Senator GALLAGHER: That is not correct, and I know you're a bit of a public sector jobs snob. I hear it all the time, so I take that interjection. We know you wanted to sack 41,000 public servants, and we saw how that went down. Also, when you demean jobs in the non-market economy—which is what you're doing—you're demeaning everyone who works in the care economy. All of those who work in aged care work in those jobs. They're no good. All those who work in disability, in early education and care or anywhere the government provides support for a program—those are the jobs that you are demeaning every single time you say that. We hear it, and those workers hear it. We won't let them forget. Every time you stand up here and pretend you care about aged care, health and disability—they're the workers that you're attacking when you say those jobs aren't good enough. The IMF acknowledges the government's—oh, luckily I get two more cracks. (Time expired) The PRESIDENT: Senator O'Neill, first supplementary?