Labor leader Anthony Albanese has taken aim at what he called Treasurer Josh Frydenberg’s “showbag Budget”, saying it pointed to the mistakes the Coalition has made in eight years of government.
Mr Albanese gave the Opposition Leader’s traditional reply to the Morrison government’s Federal Budget on Thursday night, two days after it was handed down on Tuesday.
“This Budget offers a low-growth, low-productivity and low-wage future,” Mr Albanese said.
“And a trillion dollars of debt – is that really the best we can aspire to?”
Mr Albanese said a Labor government would follow “three guiding principles”.
“One, an economy that delivers for working families. Two, investing in Australia’s future,” he said.
“And three, no-one held back and no-one left behind.”
Mr Albanese returned to the theme of wage stagnancy, saying they had not grown in eight years while costs had kept rising, and claiming “real wages” would decline over the next four years.
“The Liberals offer up nothing but a showbag Budget,” he said.
“Flashy enough to sell on Tuesday night, beginning to fall apart the very next day when the reality of falling real wages, vaccination confusion, infrastructure cuts and productivity inertia become apparent.”
He said a Labor government would strengthen job security, including writing it into the Fair Work Act and forging a partnership between trade unions and business.
“We will make wage theft a crime,” Mr Albanese said.
“Now the government have rushed out a half-baked policy announcement that they say will lower the structural disincentive to work that they told us just six months ago didn’t exist,” Mr Albanese said.
“Labor’s policy will not only deliver support to four times the number of families, it will boost the economy substantially and move towards the universal provision of affordable childcare for every family.”
Like the Coalition, Mr Albanese also spruiked his plans to revitalise Australian industry and innovation, especially in technology development and renewable energy.
He also attacked the government’s aged care investment of more than $17 billion, saying they had not funded enough new home care packages to “clear the current waiting list”.
Mr Albanese announced Labor would also create a $10 billion housing future fund, set to build about 20,000 social housing properties in the first five years of its existence.
“This initiative will create over 21,500 jobs each year,” he said.
“And one in 10 construction jobs created will be for apprentices.”
A fifth of the estimated 20,000 properties would be allocated to women and children experiencing domestic violence, and older women on low incomes, he said.
Towards the end of his reply speech, Mr Albanese called for Australia’s First Nations people to be recognised in the Constitution, and given a voice to Parliament.
“I truly believe this is a moment for Australia to make our own,” he said.
“What we need now is a government with the plans to seize this chance, a government driven by optimism about the future, a government powered by determination to create opportunity, a government that holds no-one back, that leaves no-one behind, a Labor government that is on your side.”
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