Mike Freelander (Macarthur, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Under eight long years of this Liberal-National government, it's become harder for residents in my community to get ahead. With the Morrison government deliberately keeping wages stagnant, while at the same time allowing the cost of living and housing to skyrocket, residents of my community are feeling the pinch. Macarthur residents deserve a government that's on their side—a government that will invest in their community to support local jobs, families and businesses. Instead, the Morrison government deliberately funnels taxpayers' money into very questionable projects and schemes.

The cost of living is on the rise, and Macarthur residents are really struggling. While the cost of buying a home in Australia has jumped by 22 per cent in the last 12 months, in parts of Macarthur it's over 30 per cent. For thousands of young families living in my community, the dream of owning their own home is increasingly becoming a mirage. The median house price in the suburb of Airds, for example, has jumped by 30 per cent this year, to $620,000. Harrington Park's median price now sits at $1.2 million.

The rising cost of living, low wages growth, the increasing cost of petrol and the increasing cost of transport means that my residents are finding it harder and harder to get ahead. We have some of the highest levels of mortgage stress and rental stress in the country. The government blows millions of dollars on questionable schemes—on pork-barrelling—yet it does nothing for Macarthur residents. The wealthy elite are the ones getting ahead. My residents are falling further behind.

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