Melissa McIntosh (Lindsay, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The people of Lindsay are proud, everyday Australians. We love our country and care about our environment, from the Nepean River to the bushland on the urban fringe that frames our suburbs. We've embraced solar; we conserve energy. We want a future that our kids can thrive in.

But we will not have our way of life sacrificed, in the name of energy ideology, to such a level where people can barely keep a roof over their heads. This has been made clear in a survey I put out to my community over the last month through emails, social media and every resident's letterbox. So far I've received over 1,500 responses from locals, and the surveys that hit letterboxes just over the last couple of weeks are pouring into my office in the hundreds per day.

There is nothing is more important for a member of parliament to do than listen to their community and be their strongest voice in the public sphere. I've listened, and, on Australia's energy future, my community's views are very clear. As of today 65 per cent of people who responded do not support net zero by 2050. When asked if they support net zero at any cost, the number who do not support net zero jumped to 87 per cent. Sixty-eight per cent of people oppose Labor's 2035 emissions reduction target. This isn't politics; it's the real-life struggles of everyday Australians who don't want a target that is destroying them and their families financially and our country economically. These are everyday Australians who are not being listened to by the Albanese Labor government, but they are certainly being listened to by their local member of parliament.

A shocking 89 per cent of people said their energy bills have increased. It's concerning that, when respondents were asked how much their energy bills had increased by, many said 50 per cent, hundreds of dollars and that they had at least doubled. Again, 89 per cent say higher energy bills have impacted their standard of living. They're skipping meals to pay for power. They're afraid to turn on the heater and the air conditioner. They are doing everything that is right—they are installing solar; they're cutting back on their energy—and they are still falling behind. Only four per cent of people who responded said emissions targets were the most important issue for Australia's energy future. The majority, at 52 per cent, said affordable energy was their top priority.

The people of Lindsay are not antienvironment; they are pro-reality. They are a community that think for themselves on issues that matters. They are open to nuclear; 73 per cent of respondents support lifting the ban. People in my community want Australia prioritised when it comes to the gas, coal and uranium that we produce. Ninety-four per cent agree with putting our nation first.

What I've heard in my survey is clear. The Albanese Labor government's renewables-only approach, with a 2035 emissions reduction target and net zero by 2050, is hurting families. These policies are driving up prices, destabilising supply and ignoring the voices of everyday Australians. The people of Lindsay, our everyday Australians, are speaking up.

Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Centre Alliance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In accordance with standing order 193, the time for members' constituency statements has concluded.