Leah Blyth (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Defence Infrastructure) | Hansard source

This budget has fallen very flat with the Australian people. As Senator Bragg said, they smell this a mile away. They know when they're being sold a lie, and that's exactly what Labor is trying to do here. Before the election, Labor promised that there would be no changes to CGT in Australia, and it promised this dozens of times. Australians were promised that they would see relief if they elected a Labor government. Instead what they've got is a Labor government that is now the highest-taxing government in Australian history. Rather than control spending and live within its means, as it demands the Australian people to do, Labor continues to spend more and grab more tax.

Let's remember, everyone out there, that government has no money of its own. The only money it has is the dollar that hardworking, everyday Australians earn, which the government takes. While families are struggling with mortgage repayments, rent, grocery bills, insurance premiums and energy costs, this Labor government is continuing to hurtle towards its net zero and renewables fantasy, and Australians are still asking where that relief is in their electricity bill. Well, it is not coming under this Labor government. Labor's policies are increasing costs and reducing confidence in Australia. The CGT is taking away young people's ability to buy a home. At my eldest daughter's age, I was able to save a deposit and buy my first home. I fear that she is never going to be able to do that, because under this Labor government the settings are not there in the economy.

We've then got this Labor government looking at vehicle emissions standards, which is pushing up the cost of everyday household vehicles and farming vehicles. This is going to hit regional Australians and families the hardest. Millions of Australians made financial decisions based on the rules that government put in place. Australians have been encouraged for decades to save for their retirement and plan for their future. Millions of Australians are now finding themselves retrospectively caught up in Labor changing the goalposts and the rules. If governments are able to change the rules at any point in time, where is the incentive for Australians to work hard and save for their futures?

This is not the time to be questioning whether Australia is a good place to invest, but we have to remember that it is the small businesses and the hardworking Australians—it is those families who drive our economy. While they struggle with all sorts of headwinds, this Labor government has delivered them a budget that is like a kick in the guts, when they are already struggling to pay their electricity bills, struggling with higher insurance costs and struggling to be able to afford the personnel that they need. This is an insult to all hardworking Australians.

This budget will see the end of aspiration in our country. Instead of Labor's instinct to try and control its spending, they are going to come after Australians' hard earned dollars. Families can't continually spend more than what they earn. If the family budget doesn't balance, then you spend less. Businesses also cannot continually spend more than they earn, and governments should be held to the same standard. But under this Labor government we continue to see higher spending, higher debt and higher taxes. This is when Australia is already facing significant economic challenges. We have weak productivity growth, housing affordability is non-existent for young people, there are high energy prices, and there is global uncertainty. We should be encouraging enterprise, rewarding hard work, attracting investment and growing the economy, and, above all else, we should be honest with the Australian people. If taxes are going to increase, Australians should be told before an election not after it. Ultimately, this motion is about trust, and Australians deserve a government that keeps its promises. Australia cannot afford another Labor government.