Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Deputy Leader of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Hansard source

They will be sadly disappointed, because the government pulled down the hatches on the cost of living and then started talking up interest rates. How is the Treasurer of this parliament, who is wandering the countryside talking up interest rates, going to take the pressure off struggling families? How is he going to help them in any way whatsoever? We believe that families should have the lowest possible interest rates. We do not believe it is the role of the Treasurer to wander the countryside talking up interest rates and causing Australian families to pay higher mortgage repayments than they should need to pay. The families that I have talked to have an ominous feeling about the future.

We have seen business confidence collapse. We have seen consumer confidence collapse. A large part of that collapse has to be due to the lack of confidence in our Treasurer and the way in which he wanders the countryside talking up interest rates. We see that consumers are now facing a world oil price of $110 a barrel. People know that oil at $110 a barrel is going to translate and is translating into a higher cost at the bowser. It is going to mean that they have to think about taking that extra trip. It means that they are going to have to think about whether they can take the kids to soccer on a Saturday morning. They are looking to the government for a solution. They are looking to the Prime Minister and to the Treasurer, who are wandering the countryside, claiming they have the solutions for the problems facing the people of Australia—

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