Matt Thistlethwaite (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Financial Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister is fond of the term 'Canberra bubble', but what are people outside of Canberra saying about this Morrison government? Well, I can tell you, based on the emails and consultations that I've had with Australians, they are not too happy with this Morrison government. They are struggling with living standards going backwards under this conservative government. They're struggling with the fact that their incomes haven't been growing for the last six years. The median household income has actually fallen by $500 under this conservative government. They're struggling to pay bills, wracked by the fact that electricity prices have been skyrocketing. They've risen by 18 per cent over the course of the last three years. We've got underemployment at record levels. Unemployment is increasing in Australia again. We've got the longest commute ever for people to get to and from work.

Poverty has actually increased under this government. That's right, there are more poor people in Australia because of this Morrison government, yet they refuse to countenance an increase in the Newstart allowance, instead trying to ridicule people who are trying to get a job. Consumption levels have stagnated and small businesses are struggling in Australia. Business investment has been smashed under this government, leading to a per capita recession. Our economy is foundering. Families, pensioners and small businesses are under enormous pressure, yet this government has no plan. Their only plan is to blame the Labor Party for everything and to try to wedge Labor. They should get outside the Canberra bubble and listen to how much Australians are really struggling under this government.