PATRICK GORMAN, ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER: This week is about three big speeches. First, the big Budget speech from Treasurer Jim Chalmers. Second is the first speech of Mary Doyle, the new Member for Aston. And then tonight we're gonna see Peter Dutton as Opposition Leader give his Budget Reply.
First, if I go to the Budget. This Budget delivers on so much of what the Albanese Government said we would do; in building the foundations for a stronger future, making sure we invest in the things that families and people across Australia want us to invest in. A stronger Medicare system, making sure that we help families with their power bills, including half a million families in Western Australia, and 90,000 small and medium businesses in Western Australia. We're delivering on the cost of living relief that people want, by making sure that people can get cheaper medicines. Including again, in my state of Western Australia, 620,000 people will benefit from our policy of cheaper medicines, saving $180 or more a year. This makes a real difference. And we see that stronger future and the foundations for it in our long term plans around making sure that we're doing what we said we would on investing in manufacturing, investing in the transition to be a renewable energy superpower. All those things were in the speech of the Treasurer on Tuesday night.
And then if I look at the speech we'll see later today from Mary Doyle, someone who I've had the joy of meeting over recent weeks, a great addition to the Parliament, a strong representative for the people of Aston and we're gonna see that in her first speech today. It has been an absolute delight to see Mary and some of her family here in Parliament, making that contribution already.
And then we get to tonight's speech from Peter Dutton. Peter Dutton, as Opposition Leader is going to show us who he really is. My question about what we see from Peter Dutton's Budget Reply tonight is: do we see Populist Peter or do we see Demolition Dutton? Populist Peter is the guy who runs around saying we need to do more about housing. Demolition Dutton is the guy who then goes and votes with the Greens Party to stop investment in housing. Populist Peter is the guy who's out there saying we need to do more to help people with energy bill relief. Demolition Dutton is the guy who's been out there trying to stop the plans that we put in Parliament last year. Populist Peter out there saying that we should do more about migration. Demolition Dutton is then in there asking the same questions about why are we trying to get more skilled migrants into Australia? Populist Peter is out there saying he backs manufacturing. Demolition Dutton is then in the Parliament voting against the National Reconstruction Fund.
So I want to know, from the Liberal Party, the National Party and Peter Dutton himself: who are we going to see in Budget Reply? Are we going to see Populist Peter, or are we going to see Demolition Dutton? Because this Opposition Leader walks both sides of the street on every single issue that the Australian people are interested in. And the Australian people deserve better from the Liberal Party. They deserve better from Peter Dutton. Because if we've got someone who was trying to be both the populist and the demolition man at the same time, that's not how you run a country. That's not how you put yourself forward as the alternate Prime Minister. But it does explain why Populist Peter, when he sat around the Cabinet table, completely demolished the finances of this country, something that we have been spending our time, in just the 12 months we've been in Government, tidying up. Thank you.