House of Representatives Date: 5 November 2025
Andrew Wallace MP:
Thank you, Mr Speaker. My question is to the Prime Minister.
Released today, Foodbank’s Hunger Report reveals that nearly 200,000 Queensland families went an entire day without eating in the past year.
Prime Minister, why are people going hungry under Labor when the Prime Minister promised, and I quote, “no one held back and no one left behind”?
Speaker:
Call to the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister (Anthony Albanese):
Thanks, Mr Speaker. I thank the Member for his question.
As the Treasurer has just told the House, it is somewhat perplexing how, in tactics committee, when someone came up with the question to ask about Foodbank, someone did not go, “Actually, what might be a little bit uncomfortable is the fact that we ripped out $20 million per year out of funding for Foodbank.”
Speaker:
Members on my left are going to cease interjecting. There is far too much noise in the chamber. The Prime Minister has been asked a question and will be given the respect of being heard in silence.
Prime Minister (Anthony Albanese):
Of course, you have to listen; sometimes it is the interjections where you get the unplugged views of those opposite.
This is about a report from Foodbank, from the Leader of the Opposition: “Don’t worry about the fact that we ripped money out of Foodbank,” unlike this Government, which has provided additional money for services to make a difference.
It is just like in my previous answer, when the Member for Durack interjected that paying people in aged care to look after our oldest Australians better, and in child care to look after the youngest Australians, is unsustainable. That was the interjection by the Member for Durack. She nods correctly there.
That was the view. And it is just like yesterday, when the Member for Wright interjected that funding public housing, looking after people in the housing sector and increasing rental assistance was not necessary under the former government, because there was not an issue. We did not need a housing minister under them.
Speaker:
The Prime Minister will pause, and I will hear from the Leader of the Opposition.
Sussan Ley (Leader of the Opposition):
I raise a point of order on relevance. Sledging the Opposition does not answer the question.
Speaker:
I have been trying to deal with points of order precisely. That kind of language is completely unacceptable.
When a broad question about “no one held back and no one left behind” is part of the question, of course the Prime Minister is going to go broad with his answer.
These questions all week have been completely broad. If you ask a very broad question, you are going to get a very broad answer.
The Prime Minister is being directly relevant.
Prime Minister (Anthony Albanese):
Sometimes they are a bit beyond help from the hints, Mr Speaker.
What we hear from those opposite, when they get off the script that they stand up and read and when they interject across the chamber, are their real views. Their real views are contemptuous about the needs of the Australian people.
Whether it is about housing, Foodbank, or paying aged care and childcare workers properly, they are contemptuous of those needs.
Then they come in here, having voted against every cost-of-living measure that we have put forward, and pretend to care.
The truth is that the Australian people are onto them. That is why, on 3 May, they voted for a government that would actually protect people and look after people’s living standards, not just oppose every cost-of-living measure.
END
Media Contact: Brendan West – 0402 556 646 – Brendan.west@aph.gov.au
