Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What a distinct pleasure once again! I rise to raise an issue of significant importance to my electorate of Fadden, which of course is the fastest growing electorate in the nation, and that is the continual cost of living increases and pressures and especially the increasing cost of petrol and groceries. During the last election campaign, the Rudd-Swan government 20 times led the Australian people to believe that it would be able to address the rising cost of petrol and groceries. Yet six months into the term all of these things have risen in cost. The government continues to tout promise after promise, yet the delivery time appears to wax and wane and, indeed, appears to be optional. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, looking at the CPI during the December and March quarters, food rose by 2.1 per cent, housing costs rose by 1.9 per cent, health increased by four per cent and education costs increased by 5.2 per cent in the first six months of the Rudd-Swan government.

All of these increases add to the pressure of balancing the family budget at home. Combined with that, consumer sentiment since November, when the government was elected, is at its lowest since 1992, when Australia was plunged into a banana republic situation by then Prime Minister Keating with a recession that apparently we ‘had to have’. We have a budget that has just been brought down that has included $19 billion in new taxes and, looking forward to the next four years, has increased expenditure by $15 billion over what the previous government had. The Rudd-Swan government touts an inflation-fighting budget by reducing expenditure, yet, looking through to the next four years in what are called the forward estimates, the opposite is the case.

Fuelwatch is being brought in as a stunt to try to convince the Australian people that the government is doing something about watching fuel, when in fact all it is doing is watching the price go higher and higher. Four of the significant economic government departments all warned against it. The Minister for Resources and Energy warned his colleagues against it, and yet still the government persists with this charade.

ABC Learning has indicated that it will put up its childcare fees by a staggering 10 per cent, which will consume all of the 30 per cent to 50 per cent increase in the rebate for childcare centres. The Deputy Prime Minister stood in the House and said that she will ‘watch’ what childcare providers are doing. We need this government to do more than just watch—heaven forbid, we actually need them to act.