Andrew Willcox (Dawson, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing and Sovereign Capability) Share this | Hansard source

Well, mates, anyone in North Queensland will tell you our one day of winter normally falls on a Wednesday! For the rest of the year, it's prime beer drinking weather. There's nothing quite like the sound of just cracking a coldie open after a long hot day. Whether you're pulling up crab pots out in the creeks of the Burdekin, knocking off after a shift in Paget or wrapping up a week of training in Lavarack Barracks in Townsville, that first sip of frosty beer is one of life's simple pleasures. It's not just about the drink; it's about the moment, the mateship, the laughter, the stories told over the bar, the sense that, no matter what's going on in the world, you're among good people. And that's what this debate is really about. It's about protecting our way of life, protecting the local pubs, the clubs and the breweries that keep our communities connected. We are talking about the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025, and, look, any relief for our pubs, sporting clubs and brewers is a good thing. The Nationals support this freeze on draught beer excise because we'll never stand between a cold pint and the Aussie public.

But let's be honest—this move from Labor is but a drop in the schooner. When you crunch the numbers, this so-called beer tax cut works out to be less than 1c per pint. That's not cost-of-living relief; that's a headline dressed up as a happy hour. The real pressure on Aussie families doesn't come from the bar tap. It comes from the bills on the kitchen table. Inflation has smashed through the RBA's target band. Mortgages are up, groceries are up, electricity is up, and it's all being driven by this government spending that is going faster than the economy can grow. Government spending is running at more than four times the rate of the economy, and Australians are paying the price. Since Labor took office, mortgage holders are, on average, paying $1,800 more per month. Families are paying 16 per cent more for food, 22 per cent more in rent, 39 per cent more for insurance and 38 per cent more for electricity. So, yes, 1c off your beer is a tiny step in the right direction, but it's cold comfort when your grocery bill is going up by 50 bucks and your mortgage is eating your pay packet.

In my electorate of Dawson, we don't just drink beer; we celebrate it. In Mackay, we've got two great breweries that come to mind. Red Dog Brewery was named one of the best breweries in Queensland, as a finalist in the Queensland Day best-pub awards last year. Congratulations to Jason and his team. And Goanna Brewing is a place where you can actually brew your own beer—pick your own ingredients, roll up your sleeves and make a beer that's as unique as you are. I'll give a shout-out to the team in Victoria Street. It's a fantastic microbrewery with great live entertainment on the weekend. That's the Australian spirit: hands on, proud and community driven.

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