Jenny Ware (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Reid for many of her remarks. I note that she has spoken about acting and Logie awards. I would just draw the House's attention and the member for Reid's attention to the Prime Minister's pledges that were made: household and business energy bills will be cut by $275—that's act 1; a real lasting plan for cheaper electricity and cheaper mortgages—that's act 2; Australians will be better off under a Labor government—that's act 3. When the current Prime Minister was opposition leader, he personally promised $275 power bill cuts no fewer than 97 times during the election campaign. Not only has the Prime Minister broken that promise; he refuses in question time to even answer any questions about power bills, and we saw that again today.

The energy crisis affects Australians. It affects Australian families. It affects Australian businesses. Under the Albanese Labor government life has become progressively harder for many Australians. This is despite the Prime Minister's claim only a few months ago that it's 'been a pretty good 10 months for most Australians'. Pretty good? Rather than Australians being better off, Australians are paying more in the economy that exists under this Albanese Labor government. Australian families are experiencing the largest fall in their spending power this century, as more and more families struggle with the crippling effects of inflation. Families are even resorting to changing their diets, with one recent report showing two-thirds of people have found it less affordable to eat healthily. This includes Australians buying canned food because they can't afford fresh fruit and vegetables. This is a great shame. More and more Australians are resorting to having meals at home and buying generic brands of food and groceries. Our banks are reporting more Australian families are falling behind on their repayments, and higher-risk customers can't get loans or refinance.

Recently, I spoke in this place about Caruso's Italian Restaurant, in the Sutherland shire. It was forced to close its doors permanently. They had been in the Sutherland shire for 17 years. Owners Rocky and Kerrin Pitarelli cited rising electricity costs, labour costs and staff shortages as reasons for their closure. More recently, in my electorate, Howling Forest cafes at Kirrawee and Kareela have closed, with proprietors Ange and Chad citing the current economic climate as the reason behind the closure.

Last week I visited local businesses in the suburb of Sutherland with the shadow Treasurer. Cafe 2232 owner George explained they've had to increase their prices by 30 per cent over the past six to eight months. Scott's Florist owner Trudy reported a doubling and tripling of the price of fresh flowers. At Left Bower Cafe, Luke cited rising energy costs and the cost of dairy as issues facing their trade. Mandy from The Beauty Loft stated she had suffered $1,000 in cancellations the last time an interest rate rise was reported. We are seeing more Australians with mental health concerns being forced to cancel appointments with psychologists because they simply can't afford them. Mortgage risk reports are showing more and more Australian towns and suburbs are entering mortgage shock. In my electorate of Hughes, over 22,000 households are mortgage holders. With an average increase of more than $1,400 per month, this is impacting Australian families directly.

The key test for tonight's budget is whether it will put downward pressure on inflation. The Albanese Labor government should deliver a budget with less spending to tackle its inflation crisis. Inflation comes from Canberra. After almost a year of inaction, Labor's budget must make bringing down inflation its No. 1 priority.

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