Fatima Payman (WA, Australia's Voice) Share this | Hansard source

The cost of living is biting every Australian out there, and we hear it day in, day out from Western Australians, who I had the pleasure of speaking to outside my office. They were ranking the cost of living and housing as the two biggest issues that are keeping them up at night. This isn't just mums and dads who are trying to put food on the table or a roof over their kids' heads and making sure that they're juggling various priorities of mortgage repayments, transport costs and fuel prices and energy bills but at the same time making sure their kids have a reliable future that isn't subjected to the lack of opportunities that we are seeing, especially when it comes to housing.

Labor, in both the state Labor Party in WA and federally, have massive majorities and can actually push for progressive reforms to ease the cost-of-living pressures on families, yet we have seen literally nothing when it comes to any form of relief to combat increasing groceries, housing, power bills and transport. Australia isn't a poor country. We need to be doing more. We've seen that there have been consistent calls by the Australian Council of Trade Unions for a 25 per cent tax on gas exports. That's one example that the government can actually do something about. We're seeing really nothing. If they want to address the cost of living, there are options there. You've just got to be brave enough. (Time expired)