Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Remember when Prime Minister Albanese said, 'Life will be better under Labor'? Well, we've seen this week that Australians can't trust a word out of this Prime Minister's mouth. Despite his pledge, 'My word is my bond,' we all know now that this out-of-touch Labor government can't be trusted and Australians are no fools. The life they were promised is a fairy tale compared to the reality they are living every day, with groceries up by nine per cent, housing costs up by 12 per cent, electricity up by 20 per cent, insurance costs up by 22 per cent and gas up by 27 per cent. Families who were once trying to get ahead are now just trying to keep their heads above water.

Now it is absolutely tragic to hear how children in my own electorate are paying the price, as local state schools contact me for help, telling me that they have to consider whether their students can participate in school sport this year, in 2024, as the cost of bus hire has gone up some 25 per cent. This is the reality that the Prime Minister and his government are clueless about. How did we get here, where students at public schools can't even get on a bus to go and play netball, basketball, rugby league or any sport, for that matter? I will tell you how we got here. We got here when this Prime Minister and Labor government lied their way to the Lodge and decided to put Australian families first.

Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Member for Petrie, you will withdraw that comment.

Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Which comment?

Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You know what unparliamentary term you used.

Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No.

Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Are you defying my order?

Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Which comment?

Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm not going to repeat your offence. Please stop wasting everybody's time. You know full well what term you used. That is unparliamentary behaviour. I ask you to withdraw it.

Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What was it, though?

Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What do you think it was?

Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The way I worded it was okay I thought.

Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, it was not. Please withdraw it.

Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So you don't want me to repeat it—just say that I withdraw?

Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do not wish for you to repeat it.

Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw.

Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much. You just wasted a lot of time for the House.

Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You could have repeated it.

Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Would you like to continue the conversation and backchat me?

Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No. I'm quite happy.

Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd like to lift the level of debate in this and give the call to the member for Robertson.