Kerrynne Liddle (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This country's economy was in trouble before the conflict in the Middle East. Caught out was an unprepared, unresponsive and incapable Albanese Labor government. They were caught off guard. They had plenty of resources. They should have had plenty of intel. They've certainly got many members of parliament in here in positions responsible for portfolios, states and territories. But there was nothing—nothing except, at the very beginning: 'There's nothing to see here. There's no need to be concerned. We've got plenty of fuel. The fuel will keep flowing.' Well, Australians know that didn't happen.

As Australians prepare to mark Easter this weekend, I want to take a moment to speak about what this holiday looks like for families, small businesses, farmers and regional communities across this country, particularly in my home state of South Australia. The truth is Australians will struggle to afford Easter this year—not just a niche group of Australians but so many Australians. And that's not a coincidence; that is the direct consequence of four years of Labor government economic mismanagement.

Let's start with something as simple and Australian as loading up the car and heading away for Easter. For many families, that trip to the coast, the ranges or the river is a tradition. It is something they plan for, something the kids—maybe not the parents—look forward to: that road trip that connects them to country and to each other. This year, for too many families, that can't and won't happen.

You will pay less at the bowser this Easter, but let's be clear about why. You will pay less because the coalition led and the government followed. It was the coalition that pushed for the fuel excise to be halved while this government was denying there was even a crisis to plan for. They blamed consumers—remember?—'You're using too much petrol.' Then: 'You're using too many jerry cans.' And they offered nothing to Australians but a suggestion to buy an electric vehicle. We pushed; eventually, they acted. Australians should know who fought for them and recognised this was a crisis that we should have been planning for.

Even with that relief, travel will remain terribly expensive. Consider a South Australian family driving. A round trip from Adelaide to Port Elliot will cost around $60 return; to Robe, around $240; to the Flinders Ranges, up to $300; to the Riverland, up to $180—it's probably the equivalent to the Clare Valley; and to Port Lincoln, up to $480 return. People have been planning their holiday break for a while. They weren't planning for those extra costs. And those businesses in those communities weren't expecting that the usual holiday busyness would be a lot quieter this year, at a time when they're already struggling.

For a family already stretched, those numbers are the difference between going and staying home. For many, Easter this year will be spent closer to home not by choice but by necessity. That's what a cost-of-living crisis does. That's what an unprepared, unresponsive and unreliable Labor government does.

Fuel is only the beginning. Let's not forget the full weight of what's gone on under this government. Electricity bills are up 38 per cent, gas is up 42 per cent, food is up 16 per cent, health costs are up 15 per cent, education is up 17 per cent, and child care is up 14 per cent. You know the child care that they told you was cheaper—and there's more of it? Insurance is up 39 per cent, and rent is up 22 per cent. The costs of things that were once simple, once considered basic to people's needs, such as keeping the lights on, putting food on the table, paying the rent and keeping the kids in school with what they need to learn—well, the costs of those things are all going in the wrong direction. That's going up. It's a story of a real family making real sacrifices, cutting back, going without and wondering when it all ends.

Businesses are going to be struggling this Easter—one of the most profitable weeks of the year, which they depend on. They're going to be struggling this year. They also know it's unlikely to end after the Easter break. In South Australia, businesses are already observing record insolvencies. They're doing it tough. You only have to walk through the city streets to see what's happening in South Australia. Businesses have been grappling with rising inflation and rising interest rates, and, for many of them, this Easter will be the difference between survival and closure.

Then there was the announcement from the RBA yesterday that they'll be scrapping credit surcharges. On the surface, that's great news for consumers, and we welcome anything that puts money back in the pockets of Australians. But it's economics 101—those costs have to be absorbed by someone. They'll be passed on. And, when those businesses struggle, there'll be more suppliers, there'll be fewer jobs, there'll be more choice for consumers—it's not a win for consumers, like the Labor government tells us it will be. That's the reality, when you get outside this place and you understand how the economy really works. Small businesses deserve fairness. They deserve not to be left off in many of these reforms. When they get squeezed, everything else follows.

Now, let me talk about the farmers. You remember those people that actually feed us? They're on the land come rain, hail or shine, and they're trying to get a crop in. I've spoken to a few in recent weeks. They've been doing it tough, really tough, and now these fuel costs are going to hit them even harder. But it's not just the fuel costs. The government would have you believe it's just the fuel costs. They got rain recently. You have to get the seeds in at the right time. You have to fertilise those seeds at the right time. It doesn't mean the plants will grow, if you haven't got all the right ingredients at the right time. They live their lives working hard to make sure we've got food in the cities and can export some of what they grow. That has just got tougher because this government failed to plan, failed to see them and failed to hear them, and Australians will feel the effect of that. Those farmers will spend their Easter not resting but trying to source the fuel they'll desperately need. They have been hit particularly hard, and they will take a long time to recover from that bruising.

Beyond fuel, there's an even deeper issue, and that is fertiliser supply. Australia is highly exposed, relying on the Middle East for around 60 per cent of its urea imports. Already, shipments are being delayed, being cancelled or are unable to load. Remember, we were also told those ships were coming—'Don't worry about it.' Well, the ships full of fertiliser aren't coming either.

The industry has warned clearly and urgently that the window to avoid serious damage is closing fast. They said that, if it's resolved quickly, we are looking at manageable price increases. If disruptions persist, they are looking at crop shortages, crop impacts and a direct threat to our food security. If their crops aren't healthy, they can't fight disease. I'm not sure why the government can't see this. This is going to have a long-tail impact not just on our farmers, not just on the people that supply them and not just on the businesses and the jobs they support but also on those of us that live in the cities. If you think there isn't going to be an increase in food prices because of the government's incompetence, you're dreaming. That will be the consequence.

The government has to act urgently to support industry. That's the reality. Australians will be watching the budget in May with cautious hope. Much of this inflation that Australians are experiencing is homegrown. Sure, there's a shock from the Middle East, but this government failed to prepare for that. (Time expired)