Andrew Willcox (Dawson, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Government is not a spectator sport; you actually have to run the country. This Labor mob are treating it as such. They're fixating on commentary, rhetoric and spin rather than providing the country with real solutions that address the crisis that surrounds us. Labor said they have a plan. Now they look like a deer in the headlights. Australians are crying out for leadership and direction from their government. Labor don't seem to realise that they're at the helm.

In this country the cost of living is the No. 1 concern for people right now. It's the issue that is putting immense pressure on hardworking Australians who are just trying to pay the bills. It affects everyone. Yet this government seem to be more fixated on giving their union mates a Christmas present rather than providing a reprieve for the people who need it.

The broken promises are mounting, and Labor just doesn't seem to care. On budget night this Labor government walked away from a commitment to reduce every household's energy bills by $275—a promise they repeated over 97 times. It was not a slip of the tongue—97 times. Instead, the government have given us a 56 per cent increase in power prices. Those are not my words; they're the government's words. Power bill help is not in the budget. It's a broken promise.

Here are a few more things the government has promised: cheaper mortgages—ba-bow!—and no changes to franking credits—ba-bow!—and cheaper energy prices and cheaper electricity prices—and we've heard that's not going to happen; ba-bow!—and stage 3 tax cuts. They're having a little play around with that. They can't even agree about that amongst themselves—ba-bow! And no new multi-employer bargaining laws. After the fiasco this morning, that has come through as well—ba-bow! It's unbelievable. The Australian people are starting to wonder whether the government even understand the problems they are facing. There are no solutions and no plans.

Since the budget was announced we've seen annual inflation hit 7.3 per cent—the highest level in more than three decades. Homeowners with mortgages are feeling overwhelmed with these extraordinary extra payments. Already a family with a $750,000 mortgage is paying $1,200 extra every month, compared to May this year. During the election campaign the Prime Minister stood up and said that Labor had a plan for cheaper mortgages. Then in October we had the budget. This was Labor's opportunity to put ink on the promises they committed to in the election campaign, yet these promises were missing from the pages. There was zero physical strategy and there were no economic solutions. Even Julia Gillard's former economist has said this budget does not put downward pressure on inflation. The government are hoping the RBA will do their work for them.

The Australian people have the right to feel let down. They have the right to feel misled. They're the ones who are burdened with increased pressure on their day-to-day bills without any leadership from their government. The government said to us before the polls, 'No-one held back, no-one left behind.' Now, six months on, all we have is a disgracefully long list of broken promises. But you need to give credit where credit's due. They remembered to keep one promise, and that is to the unions. They have lined the unions' pockets because the unions have given them $100 million. At least they have looked after someone. They're being looked after, after all, and they've just been repaid by this appalling fair work sticky tape legislation that is not fair at all.

Meanwhile, the students, the mums and dads, the aspiring homeowners, the mortgage payers, the taxpayers and the young professionals are being left behind to struggle with the cost of living that is going up, up and up. Labor said they had a plan to bring down the cost of living. Now they don't. It's been six months, so get your act together and give us a plan for the sake of all Australians. Do your job.

See this speech in context