Australians have every reason to expect that each generation will enjoy a better standard of living than the one before it. That's been one of the great promises of this country. You work hard, take responsibility, save what you can and build a better future for yourself and your family. But, for too many Australians, this is slipping away. After more than four years of the Albanese Labor government, families are struggling with household bills, young people are finding homeownership increasingly difficult and businesses are being squeezed to breaking point by rising costs. Australians are working hard, but their money simply isn't going as far as it should.

While Labor pursues its mission of taxing the crackers out of everyone and everything, the most insidious and destructive tax of all is inflation. Every interest rate rise, every refuelling stop, every grocery shop and every power bill is another body blow. And Australians are losing hope. Rather than confronting the underlying problems in our economy, Labor continues to pursue an agenda of greater government spending, more regulation and more intervention. It insists on blind obedience to international radical ideology, rather than on doing its job, which is to improve the lives of Australians.

I grew up on a cattle property near Cloncurry, and one thing you learn very quickly in the bush is that talk is cheap. You can make all the promises in the world, but, eventually, you have to deliver. The Albanese government has broken trust with its people. It continues to spend money it doesn't have and hasn't earned. It tells Australians that everything is fine and that it's all under control. But, like everything Labor stands for, the truth is drastically at odds with reality. This government spending has added pressures in an economy already struggling with productivity, high taxes, housing affordability and the cost of doing business.

But every dollar spent has to come from somewhere, and, when it's not borrowing, this government is reaching further into Australians' pockets. We have seen where this approach can lead. In the 1970s, Britain became the cautionary tale of an economy weighed down by excessive government intervention, persistent inflation, poor productivity and industrial unrest. It took a fundamental change in economic direction under Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to confront many of those structural problems. Australia is not Britain of the 1970s, but the lesson is worth remembering. A country cannot spend, borrow and regulate its way to lasting prosperity. Inflation not only makes groceries, electricity, insurance and housing more expensive; it makes it harder for Australians to save, to invest and to get ahead. The government likes to point to economic indicators as evidence that things are improving. But, if the economy is doing so well, why don't everyday Australians feel better off?

Nowhere is the difference between ideology and economic reality more apparent than in the treatment of Australia's productive industries. As shadow minister for resources and northern Australia, I see enormous opportunities for this country. We are blessed with extraordinary natural wealth: coal, gas, iron ore, critical minerals, productive agricultural land and some of the world's most capable workers. Yet, instead of encouraging investment and development, Australian businesses face mounting regulation, prolonged approval processes, higher taxes and costs and growing uncertainty.

The recent High Court decision concerning the Mount Pleasant coalmine has highlighted the legal and regulatory complexity surrounding emissions associated with Australian exports. The coalition believes the law must provide greater certainty so Australian projects are not obstructed because of emissions generated overseas. Our competitors will not hesitate to supply the resources the world needs if Australia makes investment too difficult. When investment goes elsewhere, so do the jobs, the export earnings, the taxes and the opportunities for regional communities. The federal government should be making the most of Australia's natural advantages and ensuring Australians have access to affordable and reliable energy. It should also encourage the investment that creates genuine, lasting prosperity.

The same principles apply across northern Australia. From the Pilbara to the Gulf Country and from Cape York to the Kimberley, there is extraordinary potential in agriculture, resources, tourism, defence and manufacturing. But I'm sick of hearing the word 'potential'. Everyone who lives in the north knows what is possible. What's lacking is this Labor government's understanding of the realities of operating in regional and remote Australia.

What's required is a willingness to put practical outcomes ahead of ideology. A nation that can feed itself, fuel itself and defend itself has choices. These choices give us economic strength, national security and independence, and we should never willingly surrender those advantages. The coalition understands that Australia's future prosperity will not be delivered by governments employing more bureaucrats; it will be delivered by Australians themselves. They need confidence, freedom and support so that businesses can thrive, farmers can invest in another season and tradies can put on another apprentice.

Our responsibility in government is to create the conditions in which those Australians can succeed. That means restoring discipline to public spending, reducing unnecessary regulation, encouraging investment and improving productivity. It also means delivering affordable, reliable energy and making housing more attainable. It's about ensuring our migration settings serve Australia's economic and national interests, not the interests of unelected foreign bodies. Above all, it means restoring the principle that government should serve the Australian people and put Australia first. Angus Taylor has spoken about giving Australians their country back. For me, that means restoring confidence in the great Australian promise that effort will be rewarded and that opportunity is there for the taking. It means that Australians can build businesses, own homes, raise families and keep more of what they earn. That promise extends to ensuring the next generation ensures a better standard of living than the last.

Australia's economic challenges are serious, but our decline does not have to be inevitable. We have the resources, the people, the ingenuity and the determination. What we need is a government prepared to back those strengths. When Australians say they want their country back, they're expressing something deeper than frustration with the cost of living. They're passing judgement on a government that doesn't listen to them and a prime minister who breaks promises at will. The coalition knows they're talking about national pride, identity and the values that have shaped this country. They want to be proud of our flag, our history, our achievements and the generations of Australians who built this nation. They want an Australia where citizenship means something, where our borders are respected, where our national interest comes first and where our democratic freedoms and way of life are protected. They want their children to inherit a country that is prosperous, secure and confident in its place in the world. And they want a government that recognises its first and most sacred responsibility is to the Australian people. That's what putting Australia first means.

The coalition wants to create an Australia that is strong, self-sufficient and proud and that doesn't have to apologise for it. We will end Labor's attacks on food production and ensure farmers and fishers can continue supplying us with high-quality produce. We will lower taxes, stop the waste and take control of the economy. We will unleash all available energy sources, including nuclear, and make decisions that are logical, not ideological. We will restore Australia's reputation as a secure place to invest. We'll make it easier for miners to get on with the job of extracting resources, creating jobs and contributing so much to our bottom line. Australian laws will benefit Australians first and restore our national sovereignty. We recognise that our way of life is worth protecting, and restoring the prosperity, opportunity and confidence that made that way of life possible must be our national priority.