Brett Raguse (Forde, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise tonight to speak about a number of issues in my electorate. While I have spoken many times about the nature of the electorate and how expansive it is in terms of its location in south-east Queensland, I am very proud of the features and achievements of the people within my electorate. Many people would say that I often sing its praises. Tonight I want to talk about a particular group within my electorate—and I know that most members would have similar groups in their electorates around the country—who are affected by the rise in rents, fuel prices and the general cost of living. The particular group that I want to talk about tonight are those people in my electorate on pensions and fixed incomes. I have previously spoken about the intensive growth in and pressure that is on the electorate of Forde. We lack infrastructure and we have transport issues, and the people who are most affected are those on limited incomes. I have had many representations from different groups about what we as a government can do and what we can do regionally. The pressure is certainly on.

One of the major issues affecting these people, apart from fuel prices and the general cost of living, is the availability and affordability of rental property. It has been said many times in this House that south-eastern Queensland, which includes Forde, is under strain from population growth. Every week we have a net population increase of 1,500 people. The Queensland government is working tirelessly to build more infrastructure. We hear comments from both sides of the House about whether that is a good thing or a not so good thing, but the reality is that investment in infrastructure is very important. The establishment by the federal government of Infrastructure Australia will certainly help to get some of these projects on the map and underway.

The growth has caused enormous pressure for people. In an area like Forde, where the rental vacancy rate is down at around one to two per cent, the take-up of rental properties has been enormous. Pensioners and people on fixed incomes are very much affected. One of my constituents, Colin Foot, whom I have spoken to a number of times, has made representations to me and has given me the scenario—and I am sure that many members have had similar representations. I have spoken previously in the House about the housing shortage. Some people have had a rental increase of $30 a week—and because they have topped out on rental assistance they might get an increase of just 47c. It is a dreadful situation for people on fixed incomes. A single age pensioner may be on $546.80 per fortnight and receive the maximum rent assistance of $107.20 per fortnight and the pharmaceutical allowance of $5.80 per fortnight. Rent in Beenleigh and Eagleby is $460 per fortnight. That is quite a modest rent, but it is growing substantially every day. That leaves $190 per fortnight for people to meet all of their other expenses. In Mr Foot’s case, if you add on the other expenses of $15 a fortnight for telephone, $15 a fortnight for electricity and $120 a fortnight for food, that leaves this gentleman with $34.80 per fortnight.

We in the Rudd government are looking at ways of easing the pain for pensioners and people on fixed incomes. I understand that our review of taxation and the payments system will bring some relief. But what are the emergent issues and how do we deal with them? In my electorate, other than by building a lot of houses and making a lot of rental property available, it is going to be very difficult. This gentleman, Mr Foot, is soldiering on. He has said to me that what pensioners really want is a voice. I have said in my community that I will continue to bring these issues into the House. We the Rudd government are working very hard, but it is the emergent issues that we have to deal with. As a House, collectively, I think we have to talk more about how we can give relief to some of these people in that predicament.

Question agreed to.