Mr RAE (Hawke) (15:39): There is a boring predictability to the cycle—the cravenly politically motivated cycle—of the focus of the Liberal Party. It happens parliament after parliament and year after year. For those playing at home who aren't aware: shocking as it might be to those who sat through the Leader of the Opposition's contribution and the member for Wannon's contribution, this debate, as it's listed in the papers of the parliament, is about Australia's economy. It is supposed to go to the challenges facing Australian households and people across our communities in regard to the cost of living. Fundamentally, that's what this debate is supposed to be about. We heard the Treasurer speak entirely about the efforts that the Albanese Labor government has gone to, the policies that our government has implemented, and some of the successes that we've realised and those that we still aim to realise in regard to assisting and helping Australian households and people all across our community deal with the cost-of-living challenge and keeping our economy very, very strong. What we know absolutely, clearly and transparently is that the Liberal Party have no interest in speaking about the Australian economy. They have no interest in dealing with the cost-of-living challenge that this government—our government, the Labor government—has a relentless focus on addressing. In fact, all that the opposition leader and the Liberal Party want to talk about are foreign policy matters that are, in effect, a cloaking device for the dog whistle that we all saw coming. The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Ms Claydon ): Member for Hawke, before the member for Moncrieff rises to her feet on a point of order I'm going to ask you not to continue to use that word. Mr RAE: Indeed, Deputy Speaker. Thank you. I don't need to use any particular words, because the Australian people can see right through this pathetic and cynical approach that the Leader of the Opposition and the Liberal Party are so desperate to pursue, because ultimately they know that, when the Labor government are delivering for the Australian people, working tirelessly to address these cost-of-living challenges and, indeed, maintaining a strong and robust economy now and into the future, their political fortunes are entirely tied to their ability to drive fear and division in our communities. I want to talk about the matter that this debate is supposed to focus on: the Australian economy, keeping the Australian economy strong and robust, and ensuring that it delivers for working people all across our nation. We inherited an economy that the Liberal Party had trashed. They had inflation running above six per cent. They had racked up a trillion dollars of Liberal debt, and they had nothing to show for it; it hadn't been invested wisely in order to continue to serve the community and build the economic structures that were required for the future. They had racked up a trillion dollars of Liberal debt, ploughing it into niche, partisan political pursuits that in no way benefited either the taxpayers or the broader Australian community. Of course, what we know is that that mismanagement on their part began the process of interest rates rises that we then saw. Our government has more than halved that inflation rate, and we have done what the Liberal Party could not do in their decade of government: we have delivered not just one but two budget surpluses that are contributing to the disinflationary environment that the Reserve Bank governor has explicitly referred to. The Australian economy is in a very strong and robust position. Households have been doing it tough, but there is light at the end of the tunnel, and our government will continue to prosecute households' interests relentlessly. (Time expired)