It’s Budget week, which is always an important week in the Parliament.

In case you’ve missed it - the email now also comes with a bonus podcast. My guest this week is Labor MP and Special Envoy for the Arts, Susan Templeman - you can listen and subscribe here.

Here’s the 5&5.

BEST

A true Labor budget
Budget win for students
The PM never forgets
The Speaker's reminder
Our vehicle efficiency standards legislation passed

WORST

The Opposition’s still-not yet announced nuclear energy policy
The anniversary of the 2014 budget
Angus Taylor locked up?
The Opposition angry about our $300 energy bill relief
Peter Dutton's budget reply

1. On Tuesday the Treasurer handed down a true Labor budget - focussed on helping people with the cost of living, while investing in a future made in Australia. As Jim Chalmers told the House on Tuesday night:

“This Government and this Budget delivers for every Australian: A tax cut for every taxpayer. Wages growing in every industry. A better deal for every working parent. A fairer go at every checkout. New help with energy bills for every household and for small business. Stronger Medicare in every community. More homes in every state and territory. More opportunities in every TAFE and University. A dignified retirement for older Australians. Energy and industry policies that help bring the jobs of the future to every corner of our country. An economic plan where growth and opportunity go together. A government and a Budget for every Australian."

2. The Budget also wipes billions of dollars of students HECS debt and importantly will introduce paid placements for students training to be a teacher, nurse, midwife or social worker. During QT on Tuesday Jason Clare read out an email he’d received from a nursing student that showed just what a difference this will make. Here’s what it said:

“I just saw your announcement about paid placement for nurses, and I'm crying. You've given me faith that the Labor government really cares about the growth of the whole community. I cannot even explain how much this announcement has benefited me mentally, let alone financially. Thank you for listening to the community."

3. David Littleproud got up this week to ask a question about live sheep exports to the Prime Minister. Sitting beside him was Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Sussan Ley, who had previously argued for the exact policy that David was railing against. If you’re going to ask the PM about a policy, you should probably check your own side’s record on that policy. The PM got up reading quotes from both Sussan Ley (Deputy Liberal Leader) and Sarah Henderson (Liberal Senator) in favour of phasing out the live sheep export trade. As he pointed out, instead of asking a question, they could simply have had the discussion at shadow cabinet.

4. Speaker Milton Dick had a good reminder for MPs this week. If he warns you about interjecting and you keep interjecting, he will remove you from the chamber under 94a. As he told the LNP’s Garth Hamilton on Tuesday:

“The member for Groom knows he's on a warning. In future, write down, 'I'm on a warning,' so you don't forget. The member for Groom can leave the Chamber."

5. On Thursday we passed legislation for vehicle efficiency standards (which the Opposition voted against, despite previously supporting). It will mean motorists pay less at the bowser, while we reduce our emissions. Win win. As Catherine King told the House

“I hear the interjections from those opposite about the debate. You dealt yourself out of this debate when you said, before you had even seen the legislation, that you would be voting against it. You didn't want to debate this legislation; you wanted to grandstand. That's what you wanted to do. And you continue to spread misinformation to regional communities, who will save thousands of dollars at the petrol bowser as a result of this government's decisions."

1. On Tuesday Chris Bowen absolutely dismantled the Opposition’s still-not yet announced nuclear energy policy. Have a watch - it’s Chris at his absolute best.

2. Political parties can be pretty good at remembering anniversaries of major events, but no one from the Liberal or National parties was wanting to talk about the ten year anniversary of the 2014 Budget this week. We made sure that they knew. You can never forget after committing to no cuts to education, no cuts to health and no cuts to the ABC or SBS – they cut the lot. Cutting services, cutting benefits and cutting wages, it’s what they do. And it was this photo that really said it all.

3. Angus Taylor wasn’t in Question Time on Budget day. I’m not sure if it was because he had been locked up because of Budget rules or by his own colleagues. Angus is forever avoiding asking Jim Chalmers a question. On Wednesday he was back in the chamber and directed his question to the PM, but the PM made sure Jim was the one to respond.

“He's got a lot of nerve asking about responsible economic management after the mess they left us to clean up in the Budget. We won't be lectured about debt or spending or responsible economic management from the party that left us more than a trillion dollars in Liberal Party debt that we have spent our two years in office trying to clean-up. They would not know the first thing about responsible economic management. The least familiar words in the Budget last night to those opposite were the words surplus. They had nine cracks at it. They promised the surplus their first year and every year there after. And they came up with doughnuts. None from 9. We have been here for two years and we're delivering two surpluses at the same time as we provide cost of living relief for people and invest in the future of our economy."

The PM also summed it up perfectly during QT on Tuesday: “They produced mugs saying that there was a surplus, but that's all it was. They treated Australians like mugs. They never produced a surplus in almost a decade in office."

4. Despite saying they’d support our $300 energy bill relief the Opposition seem pretty angry about it. So much so they asked a series of questions about it this week, criticising the rebate. Unfortunately nobody told the Shadow Finance Minister Jane Hume. Here’s what she had to say after the Budget. "I'm sure Australians that are doing it tough right now will be thrilled to hear there's something in the budget for them." She went on to say, "Everybody needs $300 off their power bill. In fact, we’d like to see more."

5. Peter Dutton had his big chance to outline his vision for Australia during the Budget Reply on Thursday. Instead we got more of the same negativity we’re used to. His big energy policy announcement around nuclear *still* has no date, timeline or locations. He did however outline parts of his workplace relations policy - saying that he’d rip up the rights of 2.7 million casual workers by reversing the workplace changes we’ve made which have improved job security and helped lift wages.

Parliament will be back in a fortnight, with the House sitting and Senate Estimates running.

‘til then,

Tony

PS. Song of the week is ‘Absolutely Everybody’ by Vanessa Amorosi. Absolutely everybody – that’s who gets a tax cut, that’s who gets energy bill relief in this budegt.

5&5: Mugs on mugs