Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Across my electorate of Durack, many families and businesses are hurting. So just how bad is this reckless Albanese government? Labor is responsible for the largest drop in living standards globally. This is shameful. Regardless of events taking place in the Middle East at the moment, Australia's inflation is already higher than in any advanced economy. This has been caused by the Albanese government's addiction to spending. Australians have experienced 14 interest rate rises under this Labor government, with more, sadly, on the way. Debt is headed towards $1 trillion, and productivity has collapsed, falling nearly five per cent.

And, on top of all of these concerns, farmers and small miners throughout Durack and regional Western Australia are also dealing with this fuel shortage, and our farmers are facing the prospect of being stranded without fertiliser to put the crop in. Last week, I met with farmers in Northampton. They told me that prices of fertiliser have already increased by 50 per cent to 60 per cent—and that's if you can get the fertiliser.

This is serious. This is something that the whole of this House should be focused on. If farmers cannot finish the cropping season, then Australia's food security is at serious risk. This is not a political issue. This is a real live issue that's happening right here and right now. So my plea to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is this: be transparent with our primary producers so that they know that they can put the crop in— (Time expired)