Labor policies pressure housing and families: Dutton

Labor’s migration settings and growing cost of living impost on families are expected to feature in the federal opposition leader’s budget reply.

Liberal leader Peter Dutton will formally respond to the Albanese government’s second budget in parliament on Thursday night.

Mr Dutton is also expected to reveal what aspects of the budget the coalition will support, signalling favour of the planned expanded access to GP bulk billing and energy bill relief.

“We’ve certainly spoken a lot about trying to provide support to people on lower incomes, but there are millions of Australians who have missed out significantly in this budget,” he said on Wednesday.

“They’re the ones that I think are really hurting at the moment and we’ll have more to say about that.”

Mr Dutton used question time in parliament on Wednesday to quiz Prime Minister Anthony Albanese about the impact of 1.5 million migrants over five years on city congestion and housing.

Mr Albanese said the government was seeking to reform the migration program, bringing in highly skilled workers to build the economy and dealing with systemic exploitation of temporary workers.

The federal opposition leader is also expected to zero in on a coalition claim Labor has added $25,000 to the average family’s costs since ousting the Morrison government in May last year.

The figure includes 10 interest rate rises, grocery and power bill hikes and the impact of tax changes.

Liberal deputy leader Sussan Ley said Mr Dutton would outline a “positive alternative” in his budget reply.

“It will go to the aspirations of Australians, it will go to our faith in them and their future and how we want to back them and their families,” she told Sky News.

Greens leader Adam Bandt told parliament in his budget reply Labor had delivered a win for “big corporations and the very wealthy”.

“It is a betrayal of renters, students, job seekers, young people and everyone doing it tough,” he said.

Mr Albanese said the budget had provided “responsible support” without putting pressure on inflation.