Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is doing much of the heavy lifting in this election campaign. Talking to Neos Kosmos, the treasurer dismissed claims it was because large sections of the electorate have turned off prime minister Scott Morrison.
“No, we’re all sharing the load, all the members of the leadership team are working hard and in as many seats as possible.
“I’ve been busy in seats across NSW and Victoria, and prior to the election being called, I was in Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania and Queensland.”
Mr Frydenberg has a battle in Kooyong where the “teal” independent Monique Ryan is running against him.
“The so-called independents are well organised and well-funded and a vote for them is a vote for the Labor Party if independents get elected it will lead to a hung parliament and will create chaos.
“We cannot afford confusion and uncertainty at a time when Australia needs stability and strength and decision making to meet the big economic and national security challenges facing our country,” Mr Frydenberg said.
The treasurer emphasised his Kooyong roots, “I want to continue to deliver for the people of Kooyong and at the same time deliver for all Australians.
“I carried out the immense responsibilities over the last few years [under COVID-19] to steer the economy through the biggest economic shocks since the Great Depression.”
Australia’s inflation rate breached 5 percent in the first quarter, to become a political problem for the government. Mr Frydenberg points to a range of international factors such as the COVID crisis.
“The COVID crisis has put real pressures on supply chains, which have led to freight costs being up five-fold, or even higher, and that is flowing through to the cost of goods and services in Australia. At the same time, the war in Ukraine has led to a massive spike in oil and gas prices and some commodities like wheat, that all flows through to the price of petrol here at the browser.”
The treasurer drew comparisons between Australia and overseas where inflation is higher. In the United Kingdom it is at 6.2 percent and in the United States inflation it is expected to rise to 7.5 percent.
“The government have taken steps to ease the cost-of-living pressures for Australians which includes halving the fuel excise,” Mr Frydenberg said.
While it is a short-term measure, he said that treasury expected the price of oil to come down.
“We’ve already started to see oil which peaked at around $130 a barrel, down to $107 a barrel, and we also announced $250 payments for six million Australians on income support including pensioners, veterans, and others.”
Mr Frydenberg reeled off his “budget support” for middle Australia like, the income tax offset for those earning between $40,000 to $90,000 who “will get $1,500 in their pockets when they put in their tax return from the 1st of July.”
The treasurer emphatically rejected the Labor Party message that the Coalition will extend the cashless debit to include pensions.
“It’s a scare campaign, and it’s deceitful, and journalists, like yourself need to call it out. “Labor’s claim is wrong, it’s a lie!” Neos Kosmos asked the treasurer to respond to some Greek-Australian business concerns, like the fringe benefits tax which has a negative impact on employers.
Mr Frydenberg said the government has assisted the business community with “cash flow boost and job keeper payments, to home builder for the construction industry, support for the aviation industry, and the arts industry.”
“I worked with the banks and the prudential regulator to ensure that $250 billion worth of loans didn’t need to repay in the height of the [COVID] crisis, Greek-Australian businesses have been very positive about the work that we’ve done around apprenticeships, we have extended our support for apprentices; we have supported small business with the additional 20 percent tax deduction for both skilling employees and with digital transformation.”
Mr Frydenberg said the government supports manufacturing and clean energy investments “all of which will make a real difference.” Neos Kosmos asked the treasurer if he supports the United Workers Union case before the Fair Work Commission calling for a 25 percent wage increase for aged care workers.
Mr Frydenberg said that “these are decisions of the independent umpire”, and that the government is waiting for a decision.
On the issue of suppressed wages, the treasurer said that we are seeing a “tighter labour market where employers are competing for employees, and will lead to increasing wages.”
“Australia is better positioned than any major advanced economy with low unemployment and strong growth and the measures in the budget to support infrastructure spending support skills to support small business will see that momentum maintained.”
Mr Frydenberg said that “overseas migration numbers will pick up after two years of closed borders, more people will be coming, and they’ll do so in an orderly way.”
Finally, the treasurer underscored his “wonderful relationship with the Australian Greek community.
“Greek Australians are wonderful citizens who have contributed greatly to our country, and I look forward to that relationship continuing.”
