Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (NT, Country Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Industry) Share this | Hansard source

What have we seen here at question time? What has been revealed to us in this chamber, to the Australian public, once again is that the Albanese government has a problem with the truth. But the one truth is this: Labor lies. Whatever the topic, be it the cost of living, housing, energy or the economy, we don't hear facts from Labor; we only hear falsehoods. Beware of catchphrases like 'cost-of-living relief' when they throw a dixer at themselves: 'What are we doing to deliver cost-of-living relief?' They're always in delivery mode because they never seem to get there. What we don't get is honesty from this government. Instead, we get fantasy, we get evasion and we get obfuscation from this government. But Australians aren't mugs. Australians have got a pretty good radar for BS. Let me touch on a few of the issues and cut through Labor's spin and sensationalism—through their deceit and distortion.

On cost-of-living relief, today we've heard Senator Wong talk about tax cuts and bulk-billing, and how this is supposed to contribute towards cost-of-living relief. Perhaps the government should have a read of the Foodbankhunger report 2025. Perhaps, when it comes to homelessness, they'd want to understand that homelessness has in fact increased 33 per cent over the last two years. While they claim they might be delivering in terms of homelessness, in fact it's on the increase on the watch of this Albanese Labor government. We are experiencing severe food insecurity in our country. Listen to what Foodbank Darwin manager, Jack Barrett had to say in an ABC online article:

"Food insecurity comes in all shapes and forms," he said.

"Often, it means making different nutritional choices to suit your budget—or skipping meals even, from time to time."

"In many cases, it's parents that will sacrifice for their children."

He said the Darwin hub had been kept busy, especially over the past year, as families struggled to make ends meet and keep food on the table.

"Interestingly—

This is the kicker—

60 per cent of all households that utilise a Foodbank do have some kind of employment," Mr Barrett said.

I don't know if the government has bothered to read this report, but it also suggests that their so-called cost-of-living relief measures are failing, because what the data is telling us is really concerning. The cost-of-living measures that the federal government tried to provide didn't affect what people were putting on the table. It may have helped to offset other costs, but the truth of the matter is that it didn't translate to food on the table.

This idea that they're providing housing for the Australian people is more falsehood. I'll go to the Northern Territory. Every Australian, especially young Australians, deserves a fair shot at owning a home, not to be shut out by terrible policy and soaring costs. In the Territory, it's terrible. Labor's supposed to support first home buyers, but they're locking them out of the Northern Territory under their home guarantee scheme. There are no guarantees. It's not making housing cheaper, especially when they'll push up prices and dump $60 billion of burden on the taxpayer.

They've capped homes in Darwin at $600,000, despite the fact that median prices are now topping $660,000. This is the fastest-growing rate in the nation. The Northern Territory treasurer, the Property Council and local builders all say the cap needs to be raised, but is this government listening? No. The cost-of-living pressures in the Northern Territory are, of course, getting worse and worse. This government is not really interested in addressing these problems, just as they're not interested in being transparent. It is our job as the coalition and as the opposition to call out their failures and hold them to account for the fact they are making the lives of Australians harder, not easier, in this country, and we will not stop calling them out over this.

Question agreed to.