Ross Cadell (NSW, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Foreign Affairs (Senator Wong) to questions without notice asked by Opposition senators today.

There were so many questions because we're getting down to the cornerstone of what we're doing here in the dying days of this government—the cost of living. We hear the answers, and it's almost a scene from 8 Mile in the final battle. We know everything they'll say on the other side of taking note, because they're the same things they always say, 'All these measures we put in—so many things—were so great. Here we are,' and that we voted against them. That's the reason, but let's get down to it. Not one single measure failed because we didn't vote for it. And why didn't we vote for those measures? Because they were poorly designed and they wouldn't work.

Everyone out there in the world, just ask yourselves: are you better off now than you were three years ago? It's a simple question. The answer is no. The data out today shows a 19.4 per cent increase in the cost of living since this government was elected. That's what it is about. They'll talk about this and that and who voted what. You don't vote for bad policies that don't work, and it shows on the scoreboard. People are doing it tougher out there. We can come in here and say we've done all of the things, we've got better plans and we're going to do this—they put their best foot forward this term. If this ain't the best they've got, what have they been doing? If this isn't the very biggest thing on every government's list—the cost of living and making it easier to get by—what have we been focused on all of this time? If they've been putting their second roster out, their second plan for the cost of living, do they deserve another term? This is it. We've had a term of them doing their very best—a 19.4 per cent increase to the cost of living over the term of this government. People out there are doing it tougher.

A recent survey I saw this week showed that almost a quarter of regional Australians—the National Party heartland out there—could not find any way to pay an unexpected $600 bill now. Fourteen per cent would have to borrow money off family or friends because there's no commercial way to get through. Nearly 40 per cent have no savings, no credit cards, no bank overdrafts—no way to pay an unexpected $600 bill in regional Australia. Metro is a bit better, at 15 and 15—I think about 30 per cent.

We're kidding ourselves that Australia is going great—that we've had all these great things that have done great things for Australia. Are we going to pretend that it's the fault of this side that didn't vote for policies that got up anyway? Let's face it, their energy bill relief was in light of $275 of actual savings in energy. Their childcare rebates—in regional Australia you can't even find somewhere to send your child, let alone get it cheaper. When we hear reports that bulk-billing has gone down, they will stand up and say the same things: 'We invented Medicare. We love Medicare.' Bulk-billing has gone down. It's like going out and getting bowled for a duck and saying, 'But, geez, wasn't my footwork great!' Look at the results. This government has let down the most vulnerable people in Australia with the cost of living across everything—food, energy, insurance and housing.

We're here for these two weeks. We know we're here next week. We don't know if we will be back here in this parliament after that. Does the government have something up their sleeve? Their answers today were: 'This is what we've done. We're so good. We've done this. You didn't vote for it.' The same answers will come out now. They're desperately writing something new for the talking points. They'll say: 'Under the previous government inflation was so high. It was six per cent when we came in.' It was 9.4 per cent on average in the OECD. We were one-third lower than the average OECD inflation when this government took over. It's stayed higher and for longer because they can't help spending taxpayers' money. They spent $600 million on the Voice because that was their No. 1 priority for the first year and a half—not inflation and not the people that elected them.

Virtue signalling has been the cornerstone of this government, not helping people. Sooner or later, the woke around the world have been realising reality hits you in the face, and it hits hard and it hits the people that put you there. They will be walking into booths within the next two or three months and they'll be thinking about one thing: did you deliver? Deep in your hearts, no matter what you say, you know you haven't delivered for them and we know they won't deliver for you.