Ralph Babet (Victoria, United Australia Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise in support of this matter of public importance—of course I do. Why wouldn't I? The relentless rise in inflation and the looming threat of another rate hike are crushing Australian households and businesses. Last week's CPI data was a rude awakening. Property rates and charges have surged 6.3 per cent, the steepest increase since 2014, thanks to the bureaucrats who are obsessed with climate strategies and diversity officers instead of potholes and bins. Electricity is up a staggering 23.6 per cent in just the last year. In a nation that is overflowing in coal, gas and uranium, we should have the cheapest power in the world, yet we get rorted. This isn't a cost-of-living crisis. It's a cost-of-government crisis. Every new layer of red tape, every green dream and every bloated department drives prices higher. Inflation isn't random. It's the invoice for government waste.