Keith Pitt (Hinkler, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

We see in this 6,000-word treatise that will rebuild capitalism that the priority of the new Labor government is to change the way that capitalism has worked in the country for a very, very long time, and worked successfully. We see proposals where they can take your superannuation—as in mine, not yours, Madam Deputy Speaker—to build someone else a house but not to pay for your own house. We see proposals where investments will be about social outcomes, not returns. I'm confident that those who are out there investing in superannuation want to maximise the ability for them at the time that they retire, so that they get more benefit, so that they can live for longer without looking for support from the Commonwealth and others. With the cost of living up 9.3 per cent, I'm advised that wages are up only three per cent. That is a significant differential, and it hurts.

What happens locally is things like this. This is a story from Bundaberg today on the School Savvy program. I congratulate CatholicCare's Shari Jackson and the rest of the team, but I am absolutely appalled that it's even necessary. The School Savvy program is in its fourth year. This time round, in the first half of a week they had a thousand people utilise these services. What are these services? They're services—essential school supplies, haircuts and second-hand uniforms—provided to people who are facing significant financial pressure. The fact that we have a thousand people in my local area who need this support is an absolute disgrace. I congratulate those individuals out there working hard to make sure they help individuals who cannot pay their bills. They are taking responsibility. Our local community is taking responsibility to help those less fortunate who are really struggling, whether because of power prices, gas prices, changes in wages or massive increases in interest rates. We've seen eight interest rate increases in a row in a very short period of time, and they affect everyone who has a mortgage.

I say to those opposite: next time you have a question in question time on cost of living, don't have a shot at the member for Hume; answer the question. Tell us what the plan is and how it will be fixed.

See this speech in context