Melissa McIntosh (Lindsay, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Energy Affordability) Share this | Hansard source

When we were away from this place over the last six weeks I spent a lot of time with small-business owners and manufacturers—everyday Australians—across Western Sydney. They told me that the No. 1 issue facing small businesses was energy costs. A gym in my electorate that was paying $13,000 for its energy bills is now paying $27,500. We've had double-income families lining up for meals at the two local food banks, Mama Lana's and Penrith Community Kitchen. Mama Lana's told me that not only have they been feeding people; they've also been paying people's energy bills so that those people don't default on them. They said they themselves are struggling. Their own energy costs are up 31 per cent a quarter.

A mother from Londonderry recently wrote to me saying that the cost of living in Western Sydney is too high and she's looking to sell up and move to a cheaper location in the bush. She's actually moving out of Western Sydney because she and her family just can't afford it. I've heard so many of these stories. Mums and dads are now taking their kids out of sport. What's particularly concerning, the local swim school told me, is that families are taking their kids out of swimming lessons. We saw this risk during COVID-19; we are now seeing it during a cost-of-living crisis, and Labor government is doing nothing to address it.

We are meant to be the lucky country, but we're not anymore under this government. The standard of living for Australians has collapsed by 7.5 per cent. Australians need hope, yet many of the measures in the budget handed down last night will just add to inflation and cause more economic tensions. We all know the country is facing immense inflationary challenges, yet the government seems to not want to even take any of the action that will prevent this. Mortgages remain high. Thirty-five thousand dollars—this is how much Australians with mortgages are worse off. Everyday Australians are just trying to get by, pay their bills and get their kids to school and sport. They might own a small business that is at risk of closing its doors. The Reserve Bank governor said inflation is a homegrown problem, which the Treasurer seems to want to ignore.

Western Sydney families are also struggling to keep up with the rising costs of insurance, rent and payments. We know that the cost of food is up 10 per cent, gas is up 25 per cent—I will come to gas shortly—and electricity is up 18 per cent, according to the latest inflation data. There are other households and small businesses that are doing it so much tougher under this Albanese Labor government, but, in true Labor fashion, even though they are talking up this minute $300, or $325 for small businesses, it really does not even scratch the surface when a business is paying $15,000 more on their energy bills.

The government released its gas strategy, and the backbench pretty much revolted. We know we need more gas supply in the domestic market as quickly as possible right now to assist in bringing down costs. When I go to heavy industry manufacturers across Western Sydney, they say 'We could put all the solar panels in the world on our roofs, but it's not going to make any difference at all, because we need gas.' We need gas furnaces to make the products to keep our manufacturing and our sovereign capability in this country. They want to do the right thing, but they need affordable energy, in the form of gas, to be able to do that.

Our Western Sydney builders, plumbers and sparkies are already dealing with inflated costs of materials. They're going to have to find thousands and thousands of more dollars to pay for utes and SUVs to do their job. Migration challenges will continue to put pressure on Western Sydney, and the budget does not adequately address the need for infrastructure in Western Sydney. We've seen funding ripped away from infrastructure and then put back again. The infrastructure minister expects everyone in Western Sydney to be really grateful for that money that she ripped away and then put back, repackaged as some sort of new funding, which it is not. Western Sydney is sick of being stuck in traffic. We're feeling the stress of the services that are at breaking point. And the cost of housing means it is becoming an unachievable burden rather than the hope of the Australian dream.

This budget has let down everyday Australians in Western Sydney and right across the nation. We deserve a government that will listen to the community and will act in their best interest.

See this speech in context