Emma Husar (Lindsay, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

On 1 July, my community of Lindsay and communities right across New South Wales, saw their power bills rise by up to 20 per cent. This is an insult to my community, which already faces a cost of living that is three per cent higher than that of our city mates. The member for Chifley, in his electorate—three per cent higher; the member for Greenway—three per cent higher; and the member for Macarthur—three per cent higher.

On top of this electricity price hike, Stuart Ayers will tomorrow put a toll on a road that is already paid for. Labor removed the tolls; they're bringing them back. And to make matters worse, the tolls are going onto a road that is not even finished. The bottleneck still exists; there are still two lanes in the area that is now tolled, and residents across Western Sydney will now be paying $9 a day return on a road that was already paid for. This will add almost $50 a week to the expenses of the hardworking residents across Western Sydney that I represent. It is an absolutely unfair and undue tax on our community.

This will also impact the small businesses that relocated from the south-west of Sydney to Western Sydney to save money to run their businesses. On Friday, I met such a person running a business called Gotzinger Smallgoods, who told me how much money their business had saved by relocating into my electorate. This mob comes in here, talking about small business and being the champions of everybody. Well, I tell you what: $50 a week probably isn't much in Point Piper, but it is a lot to the residents that I represent, and I will fight this toll every day.

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