Jerome Laxale (Bennelong, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It's been nearly two years since we came to government, and for two years we've had the Liberals and Nationals oppose cost-of-living relief. What's been truly extraordinary has been that, while they have opposed the government's plans, they have not come up with any solutions themselves. There is only so far that negativity can get you, and the Australian public have seen straight through the opposition's constant negativity on cost of living. In fact, the only policy they have on cost of living is to claim that power prices will fall because they want to invest in the most expensive form of new power generation, nuclear. Let's just think about that for a minute. They think that power prices will fall by their investing in the most expensive form of power generation. Please make it make sense.

Much like the housing crisis, cost-of-living pressures existed before the election of this government. The highest quarter of inflation was under the Liberals and Nationals in March 2022, and interest rates started to rise, of course, under the Liberals and Nationals. But, unlike them, we've put forward policies to help address this. Our efforts have been the result of careful planning and dedicated policymaking. Their constant opposition to our plans tells you everything you need to know about this opposition. They voted against energy relief and energy price cuts. They rallied against cheaper child care which has reduced out-of-pocket costs by around 11 per cent in Sydney. They are running a scare campaign on new vehicle emissions standards which will save motorists about $1,000 on fuel a year. They oppose the rollout of renewable energy, which is the cheapest form of new power generation.

These people are not serious about governing and they're not serious about supporting Aussies with cost-of-living pressures. There was no greater example of their pursuit of politics over progress than their response to Labor's cost-of-living tax cuts. Labor's tax plan is better than Scott Morrison's tax plan. Labor's plan delivers every taxpayer a tax cut, not just some. It enables Australians to earn more and keep more of what they earn. It will give larger tax cuts to more workers, and represents direct cost-of-living relief for taxpayers across the country. Labor's cost-of-living tax cuts represent over $100 billion worth of cost-of-living relief. We know that those opposite don't really support them, because at first they said they'd repeal Labor's tax cuts, then they said that they'd fight them in the parliament, then they said that they would call an election on them and then they called them 'Marxism'. But then they supported them. Reluctantly, dragged kicking and screaming, they supported them. Who knows what they'll do if they occupy the government benches again?

Their reaction to our cost-of-living measures shows their inability to engage constructively with policies aimed at genuine cost-of-living relief. Instead of solutions, they put up ridiculous motions like this again and again. Instead of solutions, it's all politics. We have a plan that prioritises support for families. They have a plan that prioritises politics over progress, rhetoric over reality and opposition for opposition's sake over solutions to the cost-of-living pressures Australians face every day.

With Australians facing increasing financial pressures, the need for targeted, effective relief measures has never been more critical. Addressing cost-of-living pressures has been at the heart of every budget this government has given. These policies are set to make a big difference in Bennelong. From 1 July, 92,000 taxpayers in Bennelong will get a tax cut, and over 81 per cent of them will get a larger tax cut than under Scott Morrison's plan. The out-of-pocket costs of child care in Sydney have reduced by an average of 11 per cent; our reductions in the cost of medicines have saved people in Bennelong over $2.2 million; and over 30,000 60-day prescriptions have been written to date. And our fee-free TAFE policies have helped thousands of people to attend both Meadowbank and Ryde TAFEs to reskill and earn more, and to keep more of what they earn.

Our government's response to the economic challenges of today are comprehensive, strategic and focused. But we know that there's more to do. Unlike those opposite, we have policies, and we'll have more policies to address the cost-of-living crisis at the next budget. We'll continue to manage the economic circumstances of today while providing relief, repair and reform—importantly, cleaning up the mess that the Liberals left behind.

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