Aaron Violi (Casey, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for the Digital Economy) Share this | Hansard source

Right now, we really need to understand that there are two challenges the Australian people are facing. Obviously, there's the fuel crisis—getting fuel, particularly diesel, and the impacts on price. But we shouldn't forget that Australians were paying the price and struggling before this with inflation at 3.8 per cent and two increases in the interest rates. The question about leadership is about understanding that you can't control events, but it's what you do to prepare for them and how you handle them.

Let's understand that this crisis, this conflict in the Middle East, didn't operate in a vacuum. This started on 7 October 2023. There was conflict in the Middle East. It escalated last year when Iran was impacted directly by Israel and the US. There were warning signs that this would happen. Every military expert in the world will tell you that, in the last six to eight weeks before the conflict started, there was a significant shift in military assets from the United States into the area. Experts knew this was coming. This government had two and a half years to prepare for this by bringing fuel stocks forward and getting the numbers up significantly. They did not do that. Preparation can happen over two and a half years to mitigate some of the pain.

The other thing that this government could have done is focus on bringing inflation sustainably into the band to give the Australian people and the RBA some buffer so the RBA wouldn't need to raise rates. But, for over 3½ years, the Prime Minister and the Treasurer focused on treating the symptoms of the economic challenges, not the causes. So many on this side, including me, spoke over this time about the folly of looking at the symptoms and not the causes, because, when you treat the symptoms for a couple of years, you take away a little bit of pain but you make the pain worse when you can no longer deliver the medicine. That is what we are seeing with this government. They gave temporary relief, but they didn't address productivity. Productivity is continuing to be in freefall under this government, and this government has not delivered.

I want to look at the member for Parramatta. He was talking about trust. Let's talk about trust in leadership from the Prime Minister. Ninety-seven times before the 2022 election, the Prime Minister promised the Australian people that he would reduce power bills by $275. He said:

I don't think; I know. I've done the modelling.

No Australian got that reduction. In fact, their price went up by double digits. The member for Deakin let the cat out of the bag when he interjected last year and said:

That line worked for three years.

That sums it up from this government.

When we talk about trust, this prime minister also said, before he was elected: 'My word is my bond. I will not change the tax system. I will not change the superannuation system.' Two weeks ago, this prime minister changed the superannuation system in this country, breaking his word to the Australian people. The member for Parramatta talks about trust; I hope he stands up in caucus or in cabinet and calls out the Prime Minister for breaking the trust of the Australian people.

The test now for the member for Parramatta—who is so concerned about trust in leadership—and for all those opposite is the next budget, because the Prime Minister said, 'My word is my bond,' before the last election. He promised the Australian people that there would be no changes to the tax system, no changes to negative gearing and no changes to capital gains. That was the Prime Minister's word before the last election. Well, let's watch the budget. If there are any changes to those two taxes, then, by the member for Parramatta's own standard, which he set today, this prime minister is not fit to lead this country. That is the test that the member for Parramatta has set for his own leader, because he said that leaders need to have trust. If you break your promise, your bond to the Australian people, you are breaking trust with the Australian people and you are not a leader. Let's find out in the next three weeks where this prime minister stands, because he's abandoned the Australian people. (Time expired)

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