‘Empty’ Albo jabs out of line: Labor

ANTHONY Albanese spoke to the “key challenges” facing Australians despite his budget reply being dismissed as “barely worth commenting on”, his deputy says.

The Labor leader on Thursday said social housing for domestic violence victims, veterans, and COVID-19 frontline workers was the focus of his second budget reply.

He also unveiled boosts for green energy apprenticeships and plans to criminalise wage theft.

Finance Minister Simon Birmingham on Thursday dismissed the speech as “empty” and “barely worth commenting on”.

“There’s nothing stance,” he said.

“Anthony Albanese has resorted simply to slogans stolen from Jeremy Corbyn, to rehashed policy really of subthought bubbles borrowed from Bill Shorten, and to personal attacks and name calling.”

But deputy Labor leader Richard Marles insisted Mr Albanese spoke to the “key challenges” facing Australia.

“I think Anthony’s speech last night was a fantastic speech, befitting the next prime minister of this country,” he told Sky News on Friday.