Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I thank you, Mr Acting Deputy President, for bringing me back to the topic. You are, in fact, right: I have been thinking aloud in relation to the power sharing, so I will come back to the cost of living. I'm delighted to do so after the budget that was brought down, because there are cost-of-living measures in the budget that was brought down which will make a substantial difference to the good people of Queensland.

Because of the budget that was brought down earlier this week, for the next six months, Australians will save 22 cents a litre every time they fill up their motor vehicle. That makes an outstanding contribution. It is money in the pockets for Queenslanders, a direct contribution for Queenslanders to handle those cost-of-living pressures. And it's fit and proper that, with the international situation as it is, this budget should have cost-of-living measures to provide some assistance to the good people of Queensland and the good people in South Australia, who you represent, Mr Acting Deputy President. These are cost-of-living contributions to assist our constituents, to assist the people of Australia, in relation to the increase in oil prices which arose as a direct result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. So there's cost-of-living measure No. 1.

It's estimated that a family with two cars they fill up once a week could save around $30 a week or around $700 over the next six months—a profound difference in cost of living for those people who need to fill up, who have a family and who have two cars. But there is also a cost-of-living tax offset, which I'm sure Senator Patrick would be interested in. This cost-of-living tax offset provides a new one-off $420 cost-of-living tax offset for more than 10 million low- and middle-income earners. Senator Sheldon in his contribution talked about those middle-income earners and said, 'Where's the plan?' Here's the plan: a $420 cost-of-living tax offset for more than 10 million low- and middle-income earners. The punters, the people out there, are not interested in wild and woolly rhetoric, theoretical plans et cetera. They want to know what it means to their basic living expenses. What does it mean? What does the budget mean as they try to balance their household budgets and provide for their families? That's what they want to know.

Senator Sheldon can talk about the issues in relation to whether a good economy creates good jobs or good jobs create a good economy. I'm not sure that the constituents I speak to in the region where I'm based—the Ipswich regional council area in the good state of Queensland—are interested in those debates. I think they are more interested in what it means for their wallets. What does the budget mean for their wallets in terms of practically managing the cost of living?

Opposition senators interjecting—