James Stevens (Sturt, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'm not sure if this motion is the beginning of the government's attempt to suggest to the people of this country that they understand and are doing something about cost-of-living pressures, because it is a remarkable proposition to congratulate yourself for merely increasing payments indexed to inflation. That in real terms is no increase whatsoever. I suppose it belies the truth: how much this government has no appreciation of how tough it is out there for the average Australian family and the average Australian household.

The people of this country want a government that is focused on the issues that they care about and the issues that are impacting them. No. 1 on their list is the cost of living; No. 2 is the cost of living; No. 3, closely, is the cost of living; and then No. 4 and No. 5 are a tie for the cost of living. Those are the issues that the people of this country are talking about at barbecues, around the kitchen table and in the workplace.

A message was sent to this government very clearly on Saturday that people want to see this government focus on issues that are concerning them, and I'm sure a lot of Labor members are reflecting on just what the results in their own seats are saying about what their communities think of how in touch or not they are with those challenges. I commend the member for Macarthur, who has been very honest and open. He said things on the record in the media today. Other Labor MPs have not, of course, put their name to comments, but I think that many in the government are finally realising that they need to take seriously the enormous pressure that is being felt by Australian families and Australian small businesses.

This is a motion congratulating the government on the cost of living. Well, no-one stops me in the street and says, 'I'm so glad I've got a government that's really addressing the cost of living.' Ever since the government changed and Labor came in, no-one has told me that it's easier to meet a mortgage payment. No-one has told me that it's easier to pay a power bill. No-one has told me that it's easier to save and buy their own home. No-one has said, 'When I go to the checkout at the supermarket, I get a very pleasant surprise.'

In fact, of course, I am hearing the absolute opposite, as is, I'm sure, anyone that's actually in their communities. People are saying that they're having to make such difficult decisions—things like cancelling family holidays and taking on second jobs or more shifts. They're worried about whether they can keep their children in a particular faith based school that they've chosen to send them to, because all those costs are going up. The absolute necessity costs are skyrocketing, whether it's shelter, rent or mortgage payments, or buying fresh fruit and vegetables. Some people are saying: 'I don't buy fresh fruit and vegetables anymore. I go to the freezer section because it is actually too expensive, on my fixed income, to purchase things I used to be able to comfortably purchase, because of the way in which prices are going up.' That's the circumstance people are in.

Imagine you're a family that usually goes up to Port Broughton, if you're from Adelaide, or another holiday spot for the long weekend. Maybe you stay at the local caravan park or a home that you've usually hired over the years. Imagine saying to the kids: 'We're just not doing that this year. That holiday that we always look forward to just won't be happening because our household budget is absolutely crunched at the moment.' Every time you get an envelope with a logo of one of the utility companies, you think: 'Wow, I don't even want to open that right now. I might leave it a day or two, because every time I open a power bill, even though I expect it to be going up—because that's unfortunately what I've been conditioned for—the velocity of those increases are just frightening.' In South Australia, there are stories of increases of more than 20 per cent in the average household power bill since July. That's the reality out there.

We've got a motion before us with a government saying that they're really proud of things like indexing support payments to people. All that means is that they're keeping up with the spiralling costs that are burdening the average person. Of course, inflation is a broad measure. Increasing payments by inflation is not anywhere near meeting the increase in your power bill or the increase in your rent. Those sorts of costs are going up in this economy way more than inflation is going up. So it is really tough out there right now, and it's a little bit galling to have a government come here and congratulate themselves on a topic that the average Australian thinks they are absolutely failing on. I hope that they take note of some of the messages that were sent to them from some of their safest electorates on the weekend and recognise what the people of this country want them to be focusing on, which is cost-of-living relief.

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