Alison Penfold (Lyne, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Yesterday the Prime Minister stood in this chamber and told Australians that Australia's economy is performing better than that of any other OECD nation in the world—a tone-deaf assertion, to say the very least, when Australians are seriously struggling. Under this government, Australians are experiencing the largest collapse in living standards in the developed world. The Prime Minister and the Treasurer do not seem to understand that they are not running their uni SRC; they're running the nation. Statistics can't hide the mess, because everyday Australians are living the consequences.

Productivity has tanked, and without sustained, long-term improvement there is no chance that the living standards of Australians will recover. Their pursuit of a reckless net zero energy policy has caused prices to soar. Households grapple with what to go without simply to pay their bills, and businesses grapple with whether they can afford to stay open and compete against their offshore competitors whose governments actually want them to have reliable and affordable energy. The government's record spending, which is at the highest level outside of recession in 40 years, not only has caused inflation to reach new heights but also means that Australians are paying $50,000 every minute on the interest alone. Under their policies, this country will never have economic sovereignty again. The government's irresponsible attitude towards immigration has made the dream of homeownership exactly that—just a dream. Australians are not doing well under this Prime Minister and the Treasurer.

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