Angie Bell (Moncrieff, Liberal National Party, Shadow Minister for Youth) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

After four years in office, this government has a trail of broken promises in its wake. Now its only remaining playing card is pitting young Australians against older generations—telling young Australians that, if the government taxes older Australians more, miraculously more houses will be available and younger Aussies will suddenly be able to afford one. It's this government that has lost control of the economy and inflation. It's not the war, as the Treasurer will tell you. It is this government that has caused higher inflation, which has pushed up house prices. It is this government that has pushed up energy prices by 32 per cent and pushed up interest rates 15 times. Australia has had the largest fall in living standards and has the highest inflation rates in the developed world.

While Australians can't pay their bills, this government is addicted to taxing and spending. 'Taxing and spending' should be the budget headline. Because this government is appalling at economic management, younger Australians will pay the debt bill for their lives and for their children's lives. What about the no changes to the coalition's stage 3 tax cuts promise we heard? Labor's changes to that promise are causing bracket creep and costing workers $440 next year. This is what Labor does. It takes $440 from you in one hand and promises to give you $250 in the other. They call that cost-of-living relief they've rescued you with, when they are the ones who caused it. What a con! What a joke!