Anthony Albanese grilled over Voice in fiery Question Time clash

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has copped another grilling over the Voice as Question Time got fiery. Follow along live.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been peppered with questions about his claim the Voice to parliament referendum was not about a treaty.

Question Time kicked into a new gear as the Coalition zeroed in on the rising cost of living, while the government sought to score points on Robodebt.

PM QUIZZED ON TREATY STATEMENT

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton kicked off proceedings questioning Mr Albanese over whether he stood by his statement that the Voice referendum was not about treaty.

“At the opening of parliament last year, the Prime Minister declared ‘the Uluru Statement from the Heart represents an opportunity that must be seized and Voice, Truth, Treaty is the result,” Mr Dutton started.

“On 19 July, the Prime Minister said it was not natural to assume treaty would follow the voice and stated, ‘This is not about treaty.’ He said that four times.

“Was the Prime Minister being truthful at the opening of parliament or on 2GB?”

Mr Albanese began his response by saying the Indigenous Voice to parliament was a “very clear proposition” before being accused of filibustering.

Mr Albanese hit back on the Voice. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Mr Dutton quickly declared a point of order, saying the question went directly to the “Prime Minister’s credibility”.

Mr Albanese said the No camp were “incapable” of putting together a valid argument against the referendum question to be put to Australians later this year.

“If you believe that there is something wrong with the question that Australians will actually vote for between October and December this year, then put that case.

“The No campaign continues to raise things that are not a part of the question that is before the Australian people.”

Linda Burney was also under pressure over the Uluru Statement. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney was also under pressure about the $5.8m allocated for an independent Makarrata Commission.

The commission was a key element of the Uluru Statement and would oversee the truth and treaty process.

Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley twice asked Ms Burney if the government still supported it and for her to outline exactly what it would do.

Ms Burney did not directly address the question and instead quoted NRL star Johnathan Thurston.

“Our young people deserve the chance to be their best,” Mr Thurston, a Gunggari man, said in the Yes pamphlet.

“I’ve seen the obstacles they face. Nobody understands that better than their local community. Giving them a say will mean more of our kids reach their potential.”

Ms Burney said her message to Australians was to “vote Yes for unity, hope and to make a positive difference.”

LABOR RIPS INTO MORRISON OVER ROBODEBT

While the Coalition upped the ante on the Voice, Labor their attention to former prime minister Scott Morrison and his role in the robodebt scandal.

In a fierce speech on Monday, Mr Morrison described the findings as “disproportionate, wrong, unsubstantiated and contradicted by clear evidence” and lashed the government for a “campaign of political lynching”.

Government Services Minister Bill Shorten said Mr Morrison needed to remember he wasn’t a “victim”.

“Yesterday the Member for Cook claimed the adverse findings against him were disproportionate, wrong, unsubstantiated or contradictory,” Mr Shorten said.

Mr Morrison was savaged by Labor in Question Time. Picture: NCA Newswire/Martin Ollman.

“The purpose of that statement was to frame himself as the real victim of the Robodebt Royal Commission.

“The Member for Cook said, and I quote, ‘in making their finding, the commission sought to reverse the onus of proof to establish their claim’.

“Satire is truly dead in this country when the Member for Cook complains about the reversal of onus of proof on him, but not on the 434,000 who didn’t have the reverse onus.”

Mr Shorten and Mr Albanese teamed up to rip into Mr Morrison. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Mr Morrison, who was sitting on the backbench, called out at the end of Mr Shorten’s remarks: ‘That’s very personal, Bill”.

Later, the Prime Minister added his own two-cents, describing Mr Morrison as having “little self-awareness” and slammed Mr Dutton for standing behind the Cook MP.

“The leader of the opposition … called the royal commission a witch-hunt,” he said.

“Nothing to say about multiple people hounded for money they did not owe, the fact that some of them were driven to their deaths.

“His only sympathy for Liberal MPs who created the scheme and [to] double down on it.”

RBA DECISION A ‘SIGH OF RELIEF’

The Reserve Bank board’s decision to keep rates on hold for another month will be a “big relief for Australians with a mortgage”, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said.

“This is a welcome reprieve for Australians who are already doing it tough,” the Treasurer said just moments after the central bank posted its decision.

Dr Chalmers said the most recent quarterly inflation data, which showed inflation fell to 6 per cent in the year to June, was encouraging, but there was “still some distance to travel.”

Dr Chalmers was told to ‘cool his jets’. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“We know inflation in our economy is coming off, but it is still too high,” he said.

Later on, the Treasurer and his opposition counterpart Angus Taylor traded barbs after Dr Chalmers was asked why the data in the government’s ‘wellbeing budget’ was out of data.

The report tracks 50 indicators covering health, security, sustainability, cohesiveness and prosperity. But it used old data released before the RBA’s tightening cycle to suggest Australian homeowners were finding it easier to repay mortgages.

“We know that the shadow treasurer was expecting a rate rise today because he's come in unprepared and had to read out yesterday’s question,” Dr Chalmers quipped.

Mr Taylor attempted to get Speaker Milton Dick to request the Treasurer to stick to the question, but it didn’t last long.

“Every time (Mr Taylor opens his mouth he reminds us why hardly ever gets a question,” Dr Chalmers quipped back to jeers from the Coalition.

The Speaker promptly ordered him to stay on topic: “The Treasurer will just cool his jets”.