Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Hansard source

I'll tell you what it has to do with it—it has to do with the cost of living. That's what it is about. And many small businesses are worried about whether they can make ends meet, including one who texted me. I won't read it all out because we've already had one little unparliamentary remark, and I wouldn't do that. It says: 'Our power prices at—' I won't mention the company' are increasing 330 per cent and gas prices rising 400 per cent from 1 January. We'll be paying an extra $5 million per year.' That is a Wagga Wagga firm. How does a regional business cope with such a cost rise? How does a Wagga business continue to employ the people it has? That company has dozens upon dozens of employees, it's a good company. It's into manufacturing and recycling. It's a good Wagga Wagga company and it's faced with an increase of $5 million on its power bills—just like families and businesses right across the nation are faced with higher power bills, even though the Prime Minster promised on 97 occasions that power prices would come down and electricity prices would drop, and there would be a $275 saving. No. I'm sorry.

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