Cameron Caldwell (Fadden, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Housing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I rise to tell this House of the importance of where our economy is at. Our economy is weak, fuel supplies aren't guaranteed, and Australians are hurting. A story that, regrettably, illustrates this is from a friend of ours who is the manager of a local Woolworths. She's told me that in the last two weeks she has had to fire three staff members because of theft from that store—not theft of things that are nice-to-haves in life but toothpaste and food like pasta and pasta sauce. Why? Why are these staff, working in a retail environment, having to steal food and the basics? Because under this Labor government their standard of living has slipped enormously. We must restore Australia to being a country where life is affordable, where our kids can buy a home, where you can raise a family and where there is a fair go once again—a country of strength and unity. Only the coalition will restore Australians' standard of living.