Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing) Share this | Hansard source

We are now more than two years into a Labor government, and Australians are facing a bleak future due to weak leadership. The promise of progress and stability has been overshadowed by their ineffective governance. Labor's lack of strong and decisive action has contributed to the growing challenges our nation faces today. Before the 2022 election, Australians were told that, under a Labor government, life would be easier. The Prime Minister preached a Labor utopia of cheaper power, better roads and affordable housing. We know, and the hard-working Australians and small businesses know, that was nothing more than another Labor con job.

Every single day, my electorate offices in Capricornia receive calls from locals who are struggling to make ends meet. They are finding it increasingly difficult to afford basic life essentials, such as food and adequate housing. The choice between eating a meal and turning on the heating to stay warm has become a harsh reality for many. The people of Capricornia are sinking deeper into a cost-of-living crisis. It's a direct result of the weak and incompetent leadership of the current government. Despite the mounting challenges, there has not been a single effective measure implemented to relieve the economic pressure Australians are facing. Our communities are bearing the brunt of these failures and it's time for the government to recognise the severity of the situation and take decisive action to address this crisis. Three budgets have been delivered since those opposite were elected in 2022, yet the cost of essentials continues to rise. Food prices have increased by more than 11 per cent, housing by 14 per cent and power prices by over 21 per cent. Where is the promised $275 reduction in power bills for my constituents? Instead, in some areas in Australia, the typical household is now paying over $1,000 more each year. This is evidence that Labor has failed to provide the cost-of-living relief that they claimed they would deliver at each and every budget. Their $315 billion in extra spending is fuelling the fire and driving up inflation.

Those in my electorate of Capricornia have gained nothing from this government. They're digging deeper into their pockets to pay for Labor's overspending. Capricornians are proud of their resource-rich region—from exporting coal to farming. It's prime agricultural land that feeds both our nation and others worldwide. My constituents generate wealth that should drive economic growth and security; however, this Labor government is draining the regions through higher taxes and increased red tape. Despite the billions generated from regional Australia, the people in Capricornia are not seeing relief from cost-of-living pressures or improvements in critical infrastructure. The only abundance delivered by Labor is an abundance of cuts to crucial funding and delays in vital projects—projects like Queensland Beef Corridor's road network, which would significantly improve the safety of those who travel the roads to deliver our high-value commodities to market And there was the fight we undertook to ensure that the Rockhampton Ring Road wouldn't be thrown on the scrapheap. Every day is a fight to ensure those in Capricornia are receiving their fair share.

But it's not just me who is sounding the alarm on this failed government. Independent economist Chris Richardson said in the Australian:

Governments are throwing a lot of money at the symptoms of the cost-of-living crisis, but that worsens the cause of it. And the cause is too many dollars chasing too little stuff.

With an election creeping up on us, now is the time for Australians to take on a government which has the best interest of the nation at heart—not a government set on ideologies like a reckless renewable-only policy, which is driving up the cost of electricity and destroying the very thing they are attempting to save: the environment.

A coalition government would deliver cheap, clean and consistent power from our visionary plan for nuclear energy. Australians will be given a choice in the coming months; there will be the choice to elect a government which can actually deliver on cost-of-living relief, rebuild our nation's manufacturers and restore them to powerhouses—a government which will lift up small businesses and cut red tape. This is a choice to elect a government which will restore the great Australian dream of home ownership. At the next election, the choice will be clear: continue with another term of chaos and crisis, or have a government led by someone who has the leadership and character to drive our nation forward.

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