Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I note that this is the fourth interest rate rise since the government introduced its IR Work Choices system. I note that the minister failed to defend the claim of the last election campaign that he would keep interest rates at record lows. Can the minister confirm that nine consecutive rate rises under the Howard government have increased repayments on a $300,000 mortgage by $433 a month? Given that, does the minister seriously believe the Prime Minister when he says to Australian families that working families have never been better off? Don’t the government’s broken promises on interest rates confirm why their own pollsters, Crosby Textor, found that the Australian people are disillusioned with the government because of their fundamental dishonestly?