Cameron Caldwell (Fadden, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I want to deliver a message to all Australians: you deserve better from this government. I say that because I know that in suburbs in my electorate, like Parkwood, Pimpama or Pacific Pines, you're struggling under the burden of this cost-of-living crisis that has been thrust upon you by this Albanese Labor government. We know that the Reserve Bank thinks that you're doing it tough too, under circumstances that are entirely at the feet of this Labor government. Last week, the CPI numbers that came out from the ABS went back up to 3.8 per cent. It left the Reserve Bank with virtually no choice but to raise interest rates, so every Australian with a mortgage has now seen the RBA set the cash rate at 3.85 per cent.

The obligation for this Labor government when it landed in office in 2022 was to soften the blow—to soften the landing after COVID. But what they've done has caused a crash. Unfortunately what we're seeing is families all over the Gold Coast in suburbs like Ormeau, Arundel and Labrador struggling. Mortgage repayments are now $1,800 per month higher than they were when the coalition left office in 2022. Sadly, we must return to government in order to make sure that we restore the Australian way of life. You deserve so much better.