Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Science) Share this | Hansard source

I'll begin my contribution to this debate today by acknowledging the elephant in the room. Yes, those opposite had an excellent election night, and I congratulate the Prime Minister and all the new Labor members in this place. Politics surely should not be about personal victories. Politics must deliver tangible results for Australians, and, unfortunately, this government has failed to deliver. The Prime Minister—well, he'll naturally be pretty pleased with himself. There he is, sitting in the Lodge. But, let me tell you, things aren't so good in the real world.

While this week marks the start of the 48th Parliament, the same issues exist today as existed on 3 May. In my electorate of Durack, which voted overwhelmingly against this Labor government, I still have dual-income families across Geraldton and many other parts of my electorate relying on Foodbank just to get by—just to put food on the table. They can't work anymore, and they're just hanging on by the skin of their teeth. So I say to those opposite, in between patting yourselves on the back—and I'm sure you will do plenty of that—please consider those Australians who are doing it tough. Please consider the 330,000 Australians now trapped in over $300 million of energy debt. Please consider the fact that the average mortgage-holder remains $1,900 a month worse off than before the election of this government back in 2022. Please remember the young Australians who feel that the Australian dream of homeownership is just out of reach. As the MPI before us says: these issues have been perpetuated by the government's failure. That's why the economy is stalling and households are in recession.

One of the greatest issues facing our country is Labor's housing crisis, and I assure you we didn't need a leaked Treasury document to tell us that the government plan is failing. Labor went to the election promising 1.2 million new homes. Members on this side of the house and industry always knew that this number was simply nonsense. Now Treasury has accidentally confirmed this. The Treasurer has said he's not concerned by the leak. Well, he may not be concerned about the leak, but I really hope that he is concerned by industry estimates that we are on track to miss the target by over 400,000 homes. The so-called Housing Australia Future Fund is a complete joke, and my colleague in the Senate, Senator Bragg, has pointed out the government's $10 billion has so far built just 17 houses in Canberra and bought 300,000 pre-existing houses.

This failure with respect to the housing crisis is having real-world consequences. Australians are entering the housing market later and putting off having a family because it's just too expensive, and now we have the lowest fertility rate in Australia's history. What bigger issue could there be than making it easier for Australians to buy their own home and start a family?

This is a big problem facing younger Australian, as is the nation's debt, which is set to hit $1 trillion this financial year and which will be hanging over their heads and those of their children and their grandchildren for years to come. Before the election, there was no talk from those opposite about higher taxes or cuts, but now we know that the advice from Treasury—that secret Treasury document that has been disclosed—is that Labor cannot fix the budget without raising taxes and cutting spending. As the Leader of the Opposition said earlier, when Labor runs out of money, well, they come after yours. We know that Labor's radical super tax on unrealised capital gains will not be the end of their crusade to come after Australians' money.

One of the things that I'm particularly interested in is where these cuts are going to come from. Not surprisingly, we've recently had a really good example of cuts which are related to the remotest and most vulnerable people in this land. I am talking about Labor's snap NDIS decision to remove regional loading and reduce travel support, which is a serious concern for regional therapy providers and recipients. Over the last couple of weeks, I've met with NDIS providers across the Kimberley, the Mid West and the Pilbara, and they have serious issues with the government's reforms. It's clear to me and to all of us that the NDIS has blown out of its original intent, but surely this is not where you start—with the remotest and most vulnerable people in our country, people who have real health needs. That is not where you start, and I encourage Minister Butler to go back and, have a look at this. Please consult more broadly to make sure we get this right. This government is full of hubris and confidence, and I ask that you think about the Australians and stop thinking about yourselves. (Time expired)

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