Keith Wolahan (Menzies, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak about the incredible hardship that families in my electorate are experiencing. Like many members of the House of Representatives, there are food banks in the electorate that I represent, and I speak with them regularly. When we first started to see a spike in inflation, I and they noticed greater demand. In fact, I remember standing at one—the Vantage Point Community food bank—and seeing a queue of cars. In the cars were mostly women, many with children in the back. Whether it was due to the loss of a job, an illness or, for many, a family breakdown, they needed to turn to others for help. Indeed, even without those three life-changing events, people are turning to others for help. So, when we say that food prices have gone up by 11 per cent and that electricity and gas prices have gone up by 21 and 22 per cent, that has a face. That has consequences for families who are coming to the food banks in my electorate.

I'll give you an example of one of the six. CareNet is feeding, on average, 240 people during a four-hour period. That's about 75 families every four hours. I remember visiting CareNet. I was getting a tour of the great facility that they have and the great work that they do when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone that I had spoken to about another issue. She was in the queue for her family. I could see that she was embarrassed. My heart broke for her because she shouldn't be embarrassed. That's not her fault. The circumstances that she's in and what she's been driven to do to feed her family are not her fault at all.

One provider has explained their level of shock at the number of people needing support. One recipient was a university lecturer who has gone through her savings and is unable to find employment. Another told me about schools. There's a school—and I won't name the school—where they provide a fruit bowl for the students. What has shocked them most is how quickly it empties—almost instantaneously.

Australians shouldn't be wanting for fresh food or healthy food. I hear many families saying that they feel shame and parents saying, 'I feel like I am letting my family down.' The truth is: you are not letting your family down. So I want to thank the food banks in my community, and we in this place, on all sides, need to do better to support you.