Aaron Violi (Casey, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I agree. Facts are important. So let's look at some of the facts of the last 10 months. Energy prices: up. Inflation: up. Mortgage rates: up. The member for Calwell is correct: life has been and is tough for Australians. Yet we have an out-of-touch prime minister who stands at that dispatch box in question time and says, 'It has been a good 10 months.' It's been a great 10 months for the Prime Minister! We clearly know it hasn't been a great 10 months for the member for Calwell's constituents. I wonder if she's taken those concerns to this Prime Minister.

It's definitely been a tough 10 months for the constituents of Casey, who have energy prices rising, inflation rising and mortgage rates rising. It's amazing to hear those opposite stand in the MPI and talk about how tough it is on the cost of living, yet yesterday and today there was not one question from government backbenchers to the Prime Minister or Treasurer about the cost of living. You need to remember, with this government and the ALP it's not about providing solutions.

Let's go back to the quote from the ALP national secretary, Paul Erickson. He said, 'You must look like you are responding, first and foremost.' That's an interesting quote. So you don't have to provide a solution; you just have to look like you're providing a solution. And that's what we're seeing from this government. We also see many opposite get a little bit frustrated and angry when we hold them to account for their promises. Guess what? That's our responsibility: to hold you to account. You were all happy during the election to go to your constituents and talk about $275 reductions in pricing, but let's go through the facts—because the member for Calwell is correct: facts matter.

That promise was made in December 2021, based on modelling that the ALP commissioned. And well done on them for getting modelling. But then something pretty important happened in March last year. What was that? We're now hearing the Prime Minister talk about what happened in March. He didn't talk about it in the campaign. Russia invaded Ukraine, absolutely. Did that happen? Yes. Did that impact energy prices? Absolutely. So what happened from March to the May election? These are the facts that those opposite don't like to talk about. The Prime Minister, members of the ALP and candidates continue to repeat the $275 price reduction. The Prime Minister himself—30 times—made that promise after the invasion of Ukraine. So facts do matter.

We will continue to hold this Prime Minister and government to account because it is a broken promise. If he hadn't issued it afterwards or if he'd gone to the campaign talking about Ukraine, it may be a bit different, but he didn't. After the election, he has not said it once. And there is no doubt Australians are doing it tough. We have a prime minister who continues to fail to take responsibility for the cost-of-living crisis that Australians are facing.

He made a good point, and I was shocked when he made it. I don't think he meant it. It must have been an accident. He talked about how increased energy prices increase supply chain pressures, drive inflation and make it harder for all Australians. That is absolutely correct. That is why this Prime Minister does not have a plan for energy. He talks about his gas cap, which is a bad policy. In his own words today, in question time, he talked about how business wants certainty, and business needs certainty to invest. AEMO were talking about a warning on a shortage of gas, because business knows if they invest capital in the gas market there is a risk that this government will intervene and change the rules, because business knows if you change the rules once as a government you're prepared to do it again. By driving uncertainty, they are reducing investment in gas, which reduces supply. And guess what? When you reduce supply, prices of energy go up in the long term. I know they don't like to talk about it, but this is a prime minister that won't take responsibility and that doesn't have a plan. Australian people are struggling because of this Prime Minister.

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