Cameron Caldwell (Fadden, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Sadly, Australians are worse off today than they were two years ago. As the Leader of the Opposition explained in parliament just a few days ago, under the coalition government, before Labor was elected, a typical Australian family could secure a new variable home loan rate of 2.4 per cent—paying $35,000 a year. Now, two years later, after the Albanese Labor government decisions to drive up inflation, the result is that a new loan variable interest rate is 6.3 per cent.

Australians are watching closely, because what they sense is that, under a Labor government, interest rates will be higher for longer. It's biting in every aspect of their lives. Whether it's groceries, electricity bills or paying for their kids' education, all of these things are going up. A completely neutral measure of how tough things are is how many people are seeking help. We've seen that 127,000 Australian families have gone onto hardship arrangements with their energy providers since Labor took office.

Recently, I visited the New Life Foodbarn at Arundel. They've been operating for 16 years and are a wonderful community service. In the three weeks leading up to my visit, they had broken all records. If these numbers are not numbers that will send a message to the Albanese Labor government, then that message will be sent at the ballot box next year.

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