From the Press Gallery: Below my seat in the press gallery, the Liberal Party sits in Parliament as a shadow government and a shadow of its former self. Sussan Ley’s first question was:

When will the government’s reckless spending end?

Albo rose to his feet to answer as the Opposition called a point of order. Government MPs were shouting ‘time’ in direct conflict with the Speaker’s rules which cut-off Opposition speakers. Instead of spending, Albo spoke about cheaper medicine.

At the time of writing, we are 15 minutes away from the RBA’s interest rate announcement. Albo is going on about Medicare and how Australians rely on it. Rely on it? We have no choice but to pay for it through our taxes and then pay for it again at the clinic.

I can’t believe that he is standing in front of a phantom-like Opposition and the best he can come up with is the old Medicare rot.

Let’s talk about the Prime Minister’s magical Medicare get-out-of-jail free card. At an hour’s drive from Canberra, we can’t get a medical appointment until March 1. We’ll need our credit card because they don’t bulk bill.

Medicare is the best Labor can come up with, and it is an expensive and failed policy.

Where is the Opposition? It’s a mere onion skin but without the transparency. (Plenty of tears, though.)

I was expecting to see the Nationals physically sitting on the crossbenches.

At the opening of Parliament today, the Speaker announced that the government had reduced the time available for questions from the Opposition during Question Time.

It was also revealed that the Nationals no longer hold committee positions.

As I’m writing, Sussan Ley is being given a dressing down by the Speaker. It is four minutes until we find out if mortgage repayments will force many Australians into second or third jobs. We’re following the path of Germany where the cost of living is forcing going Germans to work three jobs just to exist.

That’s the direction we’re heading.

The Treasurer is banging on about the cost of living and how the Opposition left the 2022 Albanese government with higher debt and higher inflation.

I wasn’t Scott Morrison’s greatest fan, but I don’t remember being this broke in 2022.

The RBA has increased the interest rate. Like usual, the banks will put up mortgage interest rates immediately.

RBA increases interest rates. Treasurer blames higher debt and higher inflation on Morrison government. The Treasurer says RBA didn’t mention government spending, and we are left to assume private sector demand is causing inflation. The Lower House is erupting…

I can’t believe that many Australians are now thinking about what they can sell and how they can cut costs. Meanwhile, the Treasurer is making jokes about the Nationals being a minor party. The arrogance and disconnect is real.

The Treasurer is blaming the previous Coalition government again…

While it is a privilege to sit here in the Parliamentary Press Gallery, sometimes it really just sucks.

The House is erupting. So are our livelihoods. This is our plight under Opposition light.

Dr Michael de Percy @FlaneurPolitiq is the Spectator Australia’s Canberra Press Gallery Correspondent. If you would like to support his writing, or read more of Michael, please visit his website.