Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Hardworking young Australians are working more, getting less and paying the price for Labor's broken promises. They have a job, but they can hardly afford the cost of fuel to get to that job every single day. They're not even thinking about homeownership anymore because their rents are far too high. Their rent is higher because housing supply is low and investor confidence is low. Investors are selling off their portfolios left, right and centre. Labor's plan for housing is nothing less than to dismantle the building sector piece by piece. When they open the fridge there's just not enough food to get by until payday. It's okay, though, because, chances are, they'll need to unplug their fridge to save power anyway! Their last power bill was already unaffordable, thanks to Labor's unmodelled energy policies.

But the gym is also too pricey, and the streets are now unsafe. The stress of it all is leading them onto a downward spiral, but they can't afford mental health support like they used to, because Labor has cut their access to psychologist visits in half. They accessed HECS to pay for vocational or higher education, and, last fiscal year, young Australians paid an additional 7.1 per cent on their HECS loans—all thanks to Labor's failure to mitigate inflation. They survived on two-minute noodles, cheap coffee, student accommodation and share houses. They worked part time, studied full time and did unpaid placements. They sought the Australian dream and now find themselves barely making ends meet. This is the story of so many young Australians.

Under the coalition, homeownership, entrepreneurship and mental health care were more attainable than ever before. In just 15 months, Labor have made these outcomes unattainable. Why do young people always pay more under Labor?

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