Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Tourism) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak on the reality of raising a family under the Morrison Liberal government. It comes as no surprise to me that the Labor members who have made a contribution, and Senator Siewert, are angry about the absolute ignorance that has been displayed by government senators around this issue. It is Anti-Poverty Week and the facts are frightening. I ask that they listen to the facts. It is not only the people on social security benefits who are finding it tough. It is the working families who are going to welfare agencies to get assistance with food. Surely that tells you something. Surely it does. The fact is that 13.2 per cent of Australians are living below the poverty line, many in deep poverty, which is classified as an average of $135 below the poverty line when that line is defined as 50 per cent of the median household income. You don't need these organisations, or business organisations, to tell you that not enough is being done by government, firstly, to create jobs and, secondly, to assist with the incomes of those who do not have jobs.

You're out there in your electorates and you have these people writing to you, knocking on your door, ringing you and emailing you and we have these glib remarks thrown across the chamber here, which just says to me that you're not interested. You're much more interested in media releases than in taking real action. That is what it tells me. Productivity Commission research finds that after 27 years of uninterrupted economic growth and prosperity the low income statistics have not changed, yet nine to 10 per cent of Australians are still defined as low income earners, which is the same figure as in 1992. For me, this was the most interesting thing that came out of question time today. We asked questions around the IMF slashing Australia's growth forecast but what we heard today lacked credibility. What we heard today was, 'We have a plan.' Well, the plan is not working. The IMF's forecast makes a mockery of the policies of the Morrison government. The fact is that confidence and growth are weak. The state of the economy is of genuine concern to everyday Australians, because they hear one thing from the government but they experience another. The Reserve Bank, industry, economists and so many sectors of society have told this government to fast-track infrastructure investment in order to generate jobs and economic activity. Have they been listened to? The answer, of course, is no. That is impacting so many families—

Senator Rennick interjecting—

I already just said. You're putting out media releases, but you're not actually doing anything. Please, listen. The fact that the government isn't listening is impacting on so many families and individuals in our communities—everyday Australians who are worried about wages, about a lack of work, about their children's education and about what will happen to them if they become ill. For every family in the country, the cost of essentials is skyrocketing. Electricity prices are increasing and child care has become unaffordable.

Australians are worried about the economy, but Mr Scott Morrison and the Liberals are pretending there is no problem. They have no plan and, regardless of whether they say they have a plan—as I've already said before—the plan is not working. They have no plan to deal with low wages and rising prices. They say they're concerned about wage theft. What do they do? They put out a discussion paper. This has been going on for years, but they put out a discussion paper. People getting ripped off, so what do they do? They put out a discussion paper. I hope they actually do something around wage theft. It's extraordinary that they haven't moved more quickly, but I hope that sometime they actually will do something that's tangible, that's practical and that will help. But they certainly do not have a coherent plan for our country.

Who said, 'If you have a go, you'll get a go'? Who said that? It's a slogan. It's the slogan from the Prime Minister, but he and his government steadfastly refuse to take any action to make 'having a go' work for too many Australians. Those having a go are applying for jobs that do not exist and are being pushed into poverty and despair under the Morrison government. These are facts. No matter how hard they work to get a job, the effort required to apply for a job, let alone 20 a month, while trying to stay fed, have a roof over their head and take care of their family is 'having a go'. And they deserve respect. Every day in question time we don't see that. There is no respect from the government to those people having a go.

Mr Morrison also says the best form of welfare is a job—that is, not only Mr Morrison but the rest of them. But what job, Mr Morrison? Anglicare's report Job availability snapshot 2019shows that having a go is pointless when there are not enough jobs in existence. Kasy Chambers, the Executive Director of Anglicare Australia, said:

Our system is failing those who need the most help to find work. Our research shows that at least five of these jobseekers are competing for each job at their level. There aren't enough jobs at this skill level to meet demand in any part of the country.

… … …

The situation is toughest in South Australia and—

in my home state of—

Tasmania. In South Australia, nine of these jobseekers are competing for each suitable job. And in Tasmania, a staggering 14 jobseekers are competing for each one of these jobs.

What does that mean? Let's look at if you lose your job later in life and have a family. Where do you turn to pay your mortgage? As we know, rental prices are skyrocketing and power prices are through the roof, while Newstart has had no meaningful increase in 20 years.