Mary Aldred (Monash, Liberal Party) | Hansard source

I always say that food banks are the canary in the coalmine, as far as how the rest of the economy is travelling, and right now, in my electorate of Monash, food banks are having to step up and assist people more and more. They do a great job. They're a dedicated group of volunteers, whether it's at Neerim South, at Baw Baw Food Relief, at Corinella food pantry or at Owl pantry in Wonthaggi. But these food banks reflect the broader challenge of people struggling to keep up with the cost of living under this government.

As Australia heads towards passing $1 trillion in debt, inflation is still at four per cent. While the government loves to pat itself on the back about inflation, the fact remains that it is outside the RBA's recommended band of two to three per cent. When are we going to have an honest national conversation about inflation and the fact that it's remained well outside the RBA's band for quite some time now?

The government is patting itself on the back today about wage increases. What about real wage decline and people not being able to afford their electricity, staring at an energy bill stuck to their fridge, wondering how they're going to pay that—making a decision between that and their grocery bills. Veterans and people who rely on allied health services—people in this country are really struggling, and they need a coalition government.

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