Melissa McIntosh (Lindsay, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention) Share this | Hansard source

When it comes to cost-of-living relief Australians feel that they have been abandoned by the Albanese government. People in small businesses in Western Sydney are raising the alarm that without greater support lives will begin to unravel. With interest rates reaching their seventh straight rise more and more households will be under significant financial strain. But it's not just about interest rates; it's the cumulative impact of each and every cost-of-living pressure. Whether it is electricity prices, inflation or interest rates the pain is felt in Western Sydney.

I met with Martin. His organisation Christ Mission Possible helps people experiencing homelessness. He told me that food insecurity is on the rise and that most of the people coming through the doors to collect food hampers aren't rough sleepers. They are retirees, they are pensioners and they are families. Small business is standing on the edge of a cliff. Manufacturers are facing energy price increases of 300 per cent. Where they used to pay $60,000 a month in energy they are now paying over $200,000. Western Sydney has raised the alarm. They have raised it so loudly the Albanese government surely can't do anything but hear them.

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