Cassandra Fernando (Holt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I find it absolutely laughable that the shadow Treasurer would stand in this chamber and try to lecture us on cost of living. This is the same opposition that will talk about anything—flags, foreign wars, manufactured outrage—but won't outline a single policy that will actually help families in my community. The Liberals have had plenty of time to come up with a credible plan but what have they done instead? They have tried to distract Australians with culture wars. They have voted against cost-of-living relief at every opportunity. They have spent more time fighting among themselves than fighting for Australians doing it tough.

When Labor came into government, we inherited a mess. Wages had been deliberately kept low for a decade under the Liberals as a part of their so-called economic plan. Inflation had a six in front of it, and it was climbing, and the public service had been gutted. Thousands of essential jobs were outsourced to overpaid consultants, draining billions from the economy. This is the economic disaster the Liberals left behind. Since being elected, we have been working day in, day out, to address the cost of living for families, and our plan is working. Inflation has fallen from 2.4 per cent and is trending down. We have created more than 1.1 million jobs, with four out of five in the private sector, and unemployment is at the lowest average for any government in 50 years. Not only have we cleaned up the economic disaster left behind by the Liberals; we have also been rebuilding our health system, strengthening our education system and delivering targeted, responsible cost-of-living relief for communities like mine in Melbourne's outer south-eastern suburbs.

Unlike the Liberals, we understand what families in Holt and across Australia are going through. That's why Labor has delivered a tax cut for every single taxpayer, wage increases for the first time in a decade, $300 in Commonwealth energy bill relief, cheaper child care, $3 billion wiped off student debt, pay rises for aged care and early childhood educators, fee-free TAFE and cheaper medicines. Every single one of these measures is making a real difference for families in communities like mine, and every single one of these measures has been opposed by the Leader of the Opposition. The Shadow Treasurer wants to lecture us on cost-of-living relief. He should take a long hard look in the mirror, because the only time the Liberals have shown any interest in cost-of-living relief is when it benefits their wealthy mates.

Now I may have misspoken earlier when I said that the Liberals had no cost-of-living relief policy. They have one. Let me walk you through it. Imagine that you are a CEO of a big company, it's lunchtime, and you are feeling a little bit peckish and want to order lobster, caviar or steak tartare. Under the Liberals' cost-of-living plan, you can—all on the taxpayer's dime. This is what the Liberals call helping Australians. It's not lower power bills, fairer wages or making life easier for families but just perks for big businesses while working Australians are left to fend for themselves. I'm not sure which genius in the opposition came up with this plan or at which Gina Rinehart funded luncheon it was cooked up, but, while the Liberals hand tax cuts to the wealthy and luxurious lunches to big businesses, Labor is delivering real relief for working Australians.

The contrast couldn't be clearer. Higher wages and tax cuts under Labor, or lower wages and budget cuts under the Liberals. Labor is delivering for everyday Australians. The Liberals are only delivering for their mates in big businesses. We know that Australians are doing it tough, and that's why our government will keep working hard here in Canberra for communities like mine.

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