Bert Van Manen (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Much as I like the member for Hunter, and appreciated his attempted comedy routine, it did nothing to support hard-working Australian families who are struggling every day with the cost-of-living crisis that the member for Hunter and the government opposite have presided over for the past nearly three years.

I might remind the member for Hunter of a few figures that may be worthwhile for the member for Hunter's consideration. Health costs are up some 10 per cent. Education costs are up 11 per cent. Food is up over 12 per cent. Housing is up 14 per cent. Rents are up over 17 per cent. Insurance costs are up over 18 per cent, and, very importantly, electricity costs are up over 32 per cent.

It doesn't matter how the member for Hunter wants to cut the mustard; electricity was up 32 per cent even before the rebates, and it is having a material negative impact on the cost of living not just for everyday Australians but for our small businesses and businesses right across this country. I know many businesses whose electricity costs have increased by far more than 32 per cent under this government—some in the order of 200 per cent. Some of these are charities and other community organisations that take the scarce resources they receive in donations and grants and put them back into the community, and they are now less able to do that purely because of the cost of electricity. It is also then meaning that the cost for businesses to do business and keep their doors open—our cafes, clubs and pubs—is tough. The cost inputs to business through electricity alone are magnified through every single part of the supply chain. Everything we do has electricity somewhere in it.

The member for Hunter, in his contribution, referenced child care. I can say to the member for Hunter that a number of childcare centres I've spoken to in my electorate have decided it's too difficult to deal with the government's bureaucracy and red tape for the new childcare subsidy provisions—but they are giving their employees a 15 per cent increase anyway, which I think is terrific. But they're also increasing their fees. The Australian families in my electorate of Forde who are using child care are not paying any less for child care than they did two or three years ago; they are paying more because the government's red tape and regulation around the childcare subsidy is too difficult for some of these childcare centres to deal with. It is just another example of the failure of those opposite.

I've addressed child care and energy, and I will address bulk-billing. Those opposite in the government have been waxing lyrical about bulk-billing rates for the past week or so. The Minister for Health and Aged Care has tried to use the COVID pandemic as some sort of shield and cover for where the bulk-billing figures are at, so let's go back before COVID and have a like-for-like comparison. In 2019, bulk-billing in my electorate of Forde was at 96 per cent. What is it today? Eighty-four per cent—a 12 per cent drop in bulk-billing across my electorate of Forde.

The government can wax lyrical all they like about addressing cost-of-living issues, but the reality of the matter is that it is not making a material difference to what families across my electorate are feeling each and every day. And I haven't even got to the 12 interest rate increases, which, for an average mortgage in my electorate, are resulting in an additional $50,000 of interest being paid by mortgage holders across my electorate. In addition, investors who own rental properties are also paying those additional costs, which is why rent has gone up. The government is failing to deliver, and only the coalition will get the country back on track.

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