Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific) | Hansard source

The member for Pearce just indicated that the government is getting things done. I would ask the member for Pearce and every other member opposite to go and ask their constituents whether they are better off now than they were prior to May last year. The resounding answer will be no. The resounding response will be a big fat negative, because people are not better off now than they were when we, the Liberals and Nationals, were in government. We achieved a lot.

We see in the motion of the member for Lalor 'cheaper child care'. That's all well and good, but it's got to be available—not just affordable but available—and in regional areas it is not available. The opportunities to get child care are just not there. The member for Lalor talked about reform to the safeguard mechanism, yet you only have to look at the Australian article from last Thursday entitled 'Power pain: long winter of high costs.' The front page report says:

Households and businesses face extended power price pain into next year after the energy market operator revealed the cost of generating electricity rose—

wait for it—

31 per cent in the three months to June.

Labor members: ask your constituents if they are any better off, if their power prices are coming down. The answer will be no, because they're not—

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