Jenny Ware (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Under Labor, Australians have endured a cost-of-living crisis, an energy crisis, a housing crisis, a youth-crime crisis and now a national security crisis. These crises have been brought about by rising prices, radical policies and the wrong priorities under the leadership of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. This is a prime minister who is out of his depth and taking the country in the wrong direction. Well, in a couple of months, or maybe even only a couple of weeks, Australians will get the choice at the ballot box to vote out one of the worst governments since Federation—vote in the coalition and get Australia back on track.

Let's look first of all at national security. The response by the Prime Minister and those on that side to the appalling attacks of 7 October 2023 have demonstrated why those on that side are not fit for government and why this Prime Minister is not fit to lead this country. Following 9 October, this Prime Minister had the opportunity to behave in the same manner as John Howard did in 1996 at Port Arthur with gun control. John Howard had to stand up to the conservative faction and farmers within his party to bring about change that he knew was right for the rest of the country. This Prime Minister has failed to stand up and do what was right for Australians. If he doesn't stand up for Jewish Australians, what guarantee is there that he's going to stand up for any other Australians? When you are Prime Minister of the country you need to be leading for all Australians, and this Prime Minister has failed.

And who is next? Catholics? Hindus? Who will this Prime Minister let down next and refuse to support? When university students are terrified on campus, when four-year-olds are being accompanied to their preschool by armed guards and when synagogues are being firebombed, we see the beginning of the breakdown of the fabric of society. That is why we also have a youth-crime crisis in many parts of this country. And it has all come about under this government's watch, under this Prime Minister's leadership.

Cost of living: in two years and nine months, Australians' cost of living has gone down by 8.7 per cent. That is the steepest decline for Australians under any term of government—worse than under Whitlam. So, when I stand here and hear those on the other side talking about health care being cheaper, about everything being cheaper, it is not the case, and members on that side know this. Their constituents are telling them exactly the same thing that my constituents are telling me, and that is that they are doing it really, really tough; they've never had it tougher, my constituents say to me. And if we're not going to stand up for Australians on cost of living—

I hear the member for Hasluck. Deputy Speaker, I would say to the member for Hasluck—

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