Andrew Charlton (Parramatta, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The mover of this motion, the member for Deakin, gave a speech that was long on bombast but short on insight. There was a lot of drivel about the tennis and the last election, and lots of attempts at political point scoring, and, in amongst all that haze, it was difficult to see the point he was trying to make. It seemed to be that he was trying to suggest that the interest rate rise that we saw today and rising inflation were caused by the government. What an erroneous claim. He didn't even bother to give any reasons for making that claim. In a long speech he didn't give a single causal explanation for how this government is contributing to rising interest rates and rising inflation.

Let's look at the evidence. Is it fiscal policy that's causing rising interest rates and rising inflation? Through the government's budget have we made a contribution to either of those areas? The answer is clearly no. This budget was remarkably prudent. This is a budget that banked 99 per cent of savings. That is more than the coalition's last budget, which only banked 40 per cent of savings; and more than the Howard government, which banked just 30 per cent of savings. In this government, real spending is essentially flat over the forward estimates. In affirming Australia's AAA rating, the agencies have all made mention of Australia's fiscal policy, which is helping to put downward pressure on inflation and interest rates. The IMF said that our budget approach will help support monetary policy in holding back excess demand. It takes great chutzpah from that side of the House to claim that fiscal policy is contributing to inflation, when our approach is prudent and their approach added $1 trillion of debt to the Australian balance sheet.

Rather than play politics with the cost of living, let's remember that this is an issue which is having a deep impact on people right across Australia. Last week I visited Parramatta Mission and heard about how the cost-of-living crisis is impacting Parramatta's most disadvantaged and vulnerable residents. Parramatta Mission provides food, shelter and services seven days a week to people who need it most. This is where the cost-of-living crisis is most acute. It's where the pain is being felt the most. I learnt last week that Parramatta Mission's daily meals program saw a 144 per cent increase in uptake over the last year, up from 4,200 to 6,100. Food parcel uptake doubled, from just above 5,000 to nearly 11,000. Referrals to Uniting outreach services for people in crisis or experiencing housing issues increased by 204 per cent, and Centrelink referrals went up by 728 per cent.

This is the front line of the cost-of-living crisis in Australia. It reflects a situation being faced by many people across our country. Around one-third of the people who are getting help from Parramatta Mission are homeless or in insecure housing. More than two-thirds of the people seeking help are in housing, but the problem is that their bills are too high for them to afford essentials. Rental costs are rising at the fastest pace on record in many suburbs. They're up 14 per cent in North Parramatta and 11 per cent in Pendle Hill. In Merrylands, in my electorate, 40 per cent of the population are living in rental stress. That means they're spending more than 30 per cent of their income on rental costs.

These are issues being faced not just in Australia but around the world. That's why the government has clear plans to address inflation and assist Australians with the cost of living. Those plans involve helping to get wages moving in this country. That's why the government increased the minimum wage, helping 2.7 million Australians. That's why we delivered the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs, Better Pay) Act, which reinvigorated enterprise bargaining. That's why we've been delivering responsible cost-of-living relief, including cheaper child care, which will help around 9,000 families in Parramatta; expanding paid parental leave to six months; providing cheaper medicines; providing more affordable housing; providing direct energy bill relief; lifting the pension in line with inflation; and building more affordable homes. The government has a clear plan to address the cost of living. It's a problem we inherited but a problem that we're dealing with.

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