Leah Blyth (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Stronger Families and Stronger Communities) Share this | Hansard source

Well, those opposite seem to think the opposition here is responsible for spending, which is news to us and I'm sure news to all Australians, because it is literally the responsibility of government to manage their budget. This government is addicted to spending, and when they run out of money they come after more of yours, because, at the end of the day, the government can only spend your money. The government has no money of its own. There is only what it collects from the taxpayer. So, when they stand over there and lecture us on all the things they are delivering for Australians, mark my words, Australia: you are paying every cent of that. When they talk about the discounts they're giving on student debt, let's remember: student debt went up because inflation was out of control. So they've caused a problem and then they've come along and said: 'Have I got the solution for you! You can actually pay to solve our own problem.'

That is the problem with this government, people of Australia. They are causing problems and then trying to solve them with your hard-earned money. So, to all the tradies out there, to all the people who didn't go to university: you've actually paid for those student debts to be reduced because inflation was high because government spending is out of control. And I'm with you, Australia. I am sick and tired of this government blaming everybody else for the economic settings in our country. Australians want a government that is going to deliver the houses they are spending billions of dollars not building. They want a government who is going to deliver static conditions for them to be able to rely on the fact that their mortgage isn't going to increase, as it did yesterday, by $100 a month.

Here in Australia right now, everyday families and households are paying about $23,000 a year more in interest on their mortgages. Let that sink in for a moment: an extra $23,000 that everyday families are having to find, on top of rising electricity bills, on top of rising insurance premiums and on top of increasing grocery bills. When those opposite get up and say, 'We know Australians are doing it tough,' do they? I'm not sure that they do, because not only are everyday families doing it tough but it is pretty insulting, when they're watching—I'm sure there aren't that many people who are interested in watching this—and sitting there and being told constantly, time and time again by their government that everything is just fine and they are the most amazing economic managers of the Australian economy. It is like a slap in the face.

Let's be honest. Families here are struggling. That's if you can afford a house. If you can afford a house, you're finding $23,000 a year more. For those that are in the rental market, every single time they are going to try and find a rental home—let's remember we've had the largest surge in our population since the 1950s. You are lucky if you can find a rental home. It's amazing if you can get into the housing market, but, if you can't and you're looking for a rental, good luck trying to find one. The billions of dollars that this government is spending on not building homes is not doing anything to ease that pressure at all.

Labor has promised to build 1.2 million new homes by mid-2029. So far, they are well short on this target, and they are a quarter of the way through their own timeline. It's fair to say that for families and everyday hard-working Australians, who are just trying to make ends meet, who are just trying to make their mortgage repayments and who are just trying to find a rental house to live in, there is no ease in sight. All those opposite want to do is stand there and talk about what the Liberal Party did years ago. They've been in government. They're in their second term. It's time they took responsibility for the state of our economy, for the rising inflation, for the rising interest rates and for the lowering of our living standards for the first time in living history. (Time expired)