Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

So many words, so little wisdom—the motion moved by the member for Boothby could not be further from reality. I like the member for Boothby. She comes with a great track record, and I echo the comments of the member for Riverina, who spoke earlier. There's a general rule for new members if you're going to move a motion. If the motion is so important that you've moved it in the House of Representatives, may I recommend you stay and listen to the contributions, because by leaving, you send the message that it doesn't matter. The challenge is that the motion is a fig leaf.

If the government was serious about delivering on the cost of living, we'd have had more from the Treasurer over the summer break than a 6,000-word ideological essay that was widely condemned and rose and then fell just as quickly. This government has failed to take responsibility for cost-of-living pressures that are rising on their watch at speeds not seen in decades. A ninth consecutive interest rate rise from the Reserve Bank shows the government is, frankly, not doing enough to put downward pressure on inflation—$50 billion of off-budget expenditure at the same time that the Reserve Bank is raising rates to stop expenditure makes this point loud and clear. You'll always pay more under Labor. It's always been the way.

Day after day, the Prime Minister wants to talk about everything except the cost of living, which is the No. 1 issue facing all Australians. Families, including those on double incomes, are struggling to make ends meet and having to make really tough calls just to keep their homes. They're taking second jobs. They're working overtime. They're giving up their holidays. Before the government goes on about the extra expenditure on child care, only 48 per cent of families put their children into child care. If we're going to take pressure of the cost of living for families, the government needs to do a lot more.

The government has broken its promises multiple times—promises to take action on electricity prices. It said over 90 times that they would reduce by $275. The government said nothing before the election about increasing industrial relations and placating those in the union movement, yet that was the first issue that the government resolved on coming to power. Hardworking Australians are paying more and more on their mortgages because of the government's lack of priorities. As it stands, Australians with a mortgage of $750,000 will be paying an extra $16,000 a year in repayments. Without an economic plan, without the federal government doing its share of fiscal lifting, the Reserve Bank is having to do all the heavy lifting. Without an economic plan from this government, hardworking Australian families are struggling, and businesses will have to pay a higher price.

Before the election, the Treasurer said we were facing a full-blown cost-of-living crisis. Well, that has now become a full-blown catastrophe under this government, with eight straight interest rate rises leaving families paying much more. Interest rates are now the highest they have been since Labor was last in office. Inflation is at its highest levels in 30 years. An updated Reserve Bank forecast tells us inflation will be higher and for longer. Families will have to make very tough decisions now, and all the Treasurer can offer is a 6,000-word, fluffy essay about redefining capitalism. Bless him!

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