Simon Kennedy (Cook, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This Labor government has created a cost-of-living crisis. What kind of fantasy land is the Labor government living in when they are boasting about a $300 energy subsidy? I mean, the gall of it. Two years ago the Prime Minister promised that energy bills would go down by $275, yet there are people in my electorate of Cook—and I'm glad the energy minister is walking in—are paying up to $1,000 more. And after the subsidy it's still $700 more. This is the problem with Labor. They believe the answer to higher prices and higher inflation is more government and more subsidies. Higher energy prices, higher subsidies; higher childcare prices, higher subsidies. They believe the answer to every problem is more government and more spending. This is why they've spent an extra $315 billion or $30,000 per household.

As Liberals, we believe the answer to high inflation is not more subsidies, it's not more government; it's actually to lower prices. As Liberals, we believe in lower energy prices not by withdrawing supply but by building more supply. We believe you lower housing prices not by making media announcements about a housing fund but by actually building more houses. That's why a Liberal government will always deliver lower prices and a better cost of living than a Labor government.