Phillip Thompson (Herbert, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to use this opportunity tonight to raise a number of issues that are impacting Townsville. They all come down to the one topic that the Albanese Labor government promised they would do everything to fix but now don't want to talk about, and that's the cost of living, which is the result of the economic mismanagement of this government. Strap yourselves in, because the truth may be harsh but it needs to be heard.

We are seeing the detrimental consequences of the Treasurer's economic policies and how they have inflicted unnecessary pain upon families and small businesses across our great nation. First and foremost, this is the Albanese cost-of-living crisis. The Treasurer's economic policies have consistently failed to address the core needs of hardworking Australian families. Rising mortgage defaults and the decline in credit applications are the canary in the economic coalmine. They are the leading indicator that Australians can't pay their bills.

Australians are trapped in a nightmare scenario: do they feed their families, pay electricity or pay for housing? Under Labor, they can't do all three. Under this Treasurer, food, electricity and housing have all become luxury items. The burden of excessive tax and government regulation has only exacerbated their struggles, leaving them with less money in their pockets to provide for their loved ones.

Under the Treasurer's watch, we have witnessed the stagnation in real wage growth, making it increasingly difficult for families to make ends meet. His promises of prosperity and economic progress have amounted to nothing more than empty rhetoric. While he may claim to champion the working class, his policies have done nothing but hinder their ability to thrive. Small businesses, the backbone of our economy, have been hit particularly hard by the Treasurer's ill-conceived policies. His obsession with burdensome regulations and increased bureaucracy has stifled entrepreneurship and crushed the dreams of countless business owners.

The Treasurer's failure to provide meaningful tax relief for small businesses has resulted in reduced investment, limited job creation and a lack of innovation. Instead of fostering an environment that enables small businesses to flourish and contribute to economic growth, he has suffocated them with red tape and taxes. Not only are the Treasurer's economic policies misguided; they are also downright dangerous. They prioritise big government over individual liberty and suffocate the entrepreneurial spirit that has made our nation prosperous.

The failure of the Treasurer's economic policies cannot be ignored. Families and small businesses have paid the price for his misguided agenda, suffering from reduced real wages, increased taxation and suffocating regulations. It is time to reject these damaging policies and embrace a new path that promotes economic freedom and empowers individuals to build a better future for themselves and their loved ones.

As we delve deeper into the repercussions of the Treasurer 's economic policies, it becomes painfully evident that the burdens placed upon families and small businesses extend far beyond mere rhetoric. Let's take a closer look at the real-life consequences faced by local businesses in Townsville and the devastating impact that they are enduring. Townsville businesses are reeling under the weight of exorbitant costs. Electricity bills alone have skyrocketed, burdening these businesses with an average increase of 34 per cent. Imagine the strain that this places on their already-tight budgets as they struggle to keep the lights on and their doors open. Business insurance costs have surged by a staggering 20 per cent, further squeezing the financial lifeline of these businesses. With every increase in premiums, it becomes increasingly difficult for them to protect their assets and weather the unforeseen challenges. To add insult to injury, commercial rents are on the rise, placing additional pressures on the profitability and sustainability of these small businesses.

As their expenses mount, their ability to invest in growth and job creation diminishes, creating a vicious cycle of stagnation and hardship. It doesn't stop there. Business administration has surged by an alarming 60 per cent. This statistic alone highlights the dire state of affairs under the Treasurer's economic policies. These businesses, once vibrant and promising, have been forced to shut their doors, leaving behind a trail of lost livelihoods and shattered dreams.

As if that weren't enough, the majority of business owners find themselves unable to pay themselves even the minimum wage as their hard-earned profits are devoured by mounting costs. And yet, in the face of such hardships, they are struck with a 20 per cent increase in council rates, leaving them gasping for air and struggling to keep their heads above water. This are the harsh reality faced by our local businesses in Townsville under the Treasurer's economic policies. The weight of these burdens is not just felt in numbers and statistics; it reverberates in the lives of hardworking individuals who pour their hearts and souls into their businesses only to be suffocated by a system that fails to support their growth and success.

It's high time we rejected this path of economic destruction and embraced policies that foster an environment of opportunity and prosperity for all. We must stand up for local businesses and families in our communities demanding a change that will unleash their true potential and secure a brighter future for generations to come. We need a government which sees small business as the heart and soul of our economy, not as the enemy that needs punishing.

While businesses are hurting, the everyday Australian is hurting too, particularly when it comes to seeing a doctor. The Albanese Labor government ran their 2022 federal election campaign on making it easier to see a doctor and cutting the cost of medications. Let me explain to you how that's working out in Townsville. I'll start by telling you about Mikayla. She's a Mount Low resident, a young mum to a two-year-old, Jackson, and a five-month-old, Harper. Anyone who has children knows that whilst their immune system is developing they bring home every germ. They get sick quite easily, and you cannot afford to be out of pocket whenever your child catches something.

Labor has broken their promise of delivering a Medicare urgent care clinic in Townsville, something Mikayla has so desperately needed. The Albanese Labor government committed to delivering 50 clinics across Australia, to be established by mid-2023. Their clinics were expected to have extended operating hours and charge no out-of-pocket costs. This promise has been broken, which has made it near impossible to find urgent care for her children. Three times Mikayla has been left outside with her sick child for over an hour waiting to see a doctor. Mikayla is still on maternity leave, so her family are living off a single income. With the rising cost of living, which is never spoken about by this Labor government, she finds herself having to make a choice between certain bills. The inaction of the Albanese Labor government is affecting our community's ability to get by with the cost of living and through-the-roof healthcare necessities.

I've written to the Labor health minister requesting an update on the clinic. I want dates and time lines for its establishment. Townsville and I will be holding this government to account. Those opposite might interject and talk about bulk-billing rates. They especially don't like it when we talk about this subject. It's an inconvenient truth for them but since Labor came to government bulk-billing rates have been dropping consecutively every single month—the lowest bulk-billing rates on record since 2013. Under the coalition, in the 12 months to June 2021, bulk-billing rates were at an all-time high of 88.8 per cent.

I think we need to put communities and people first. Mikayla shouldn't have to wait outside because her child is sick. She shouldn't have to wait in the elements to see a doctor. She was promised an urgent care clinic by this Labor government and it's only fitting that they honour the promise. Instead of running around and promoting things in Labor held seats, they need to come to everywhere. I remember the Prime Minister saying that he'd be the Prime Minister for everyone. Well, Prime Minister, it's about time you were the Prime Minister for the people of Townsville and you honoured your commitments and stood up to all your promises, because mums like Mikayla should, and deserve to, be able to reap the benefits of the commitments that you made, those that you promised the people. As we move further and further along, there hasn't been any allocation of funding or information on where this will be built. The people of Townsville deserve better. They deserve a government that puts them first over party politics.