Hollie Hughes (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Hansard source

I think the Australian people are being reminded that they really need to look at what Labor do when they're in government, not what they say when they're trying to get into government. I thought it was pertinent that we perhaps look today at a number of statements that were made in the lead up to the election. Mr Albanese and his team promised that cost-of-living pressures would improve under Labor. One of these statements was: 'I'll say this very clearly: they'—everyday Australians—'will be better off under a Labor government.' I would challenge you to find an Australian who will tell you they are better off now when it comes to the cost of living than they were in May 2022. Good luck finding one. Good luck finding anyone out there that is better off today than in May 2022. Just come and let us know.

They said: 'We've got policies about getting power bills down. We've got policies to get real wages moving again.' I think we all know, as Senator Hanson just pointed out, that is not really the case. They said, 'People will be seeing in their bank accounts what the change of government means.' Well, finally, they actually told the truth about something! All Australians are actually seeing a significant change in their bank accounts since the change of government, but I'm not 100 per cent sure they understood what that meant. I think Australians, when they went to polls, thought: 'A change in my bank account, which they're so proudly spruiking, will be a positive change. It will be a positive change in my bank account. My mortgage is going to be affordable. My grocery bill is going to go down. My energy bill is going to go down.' This is not the case. We now have everyday Australians fighting to maintain a roof over their heads and making choices over what they can spend their money on. That's because petrol prices are up, grocery prices are up and energy bills are up.

Tax bills are about to go up. For all those Australians that rely on their tax return each year, that $1,500 that mid- and low-income earners receive is gone. Ten million Australians will be $1,500 worse off with their tax returns this year. So we know that everyday Australians have seen a change in their bank accounts but not in the way that this Labor government promised it was going to happen.

Those of us that have been around for a while, those of us tipping on the side of 45 plus, all remember 'the recession we had to have'. We all remember when unemployment was superhigh. We all remember when interest rates were through the roof. We all remember how difficult times were in 'the recession we had to have'.

What is absolutely astounding from the government is that they seem to have no realisation about how tough everyday Australians are doing it. It actually begs the question, even though we in here are all on very good wages: how many of their senators are feeling the pinch? My mortgage, I can tell you, has doubled since August last year. That makes a difference. I have three children. I'm paying their school fees, paying the grocery bills and paying for their clothes. That all becomes increasingly difficult, even on good wages. So it would be interesting to see if any honesty would be forthcoming, which we know is a big call—a big call; honesty's not really their strong suit—if any of them were brave enough to say, 'You know what? My mortgage has gone up, my rent has gone up, to the point that it is having a significant impact on my household budget,' because we know Australians across the board are feeling this pain.

A family of four, since this government has come to power, since its October budget, has been expected to find an extra $22,000. That's how much everything has increased—$22,000. If you are someone who has an annual income that doesn't have a whole big bonus that comes at the end of that and doesn't have the capability for you to go to your boss and negotiate a wage rise, where do you get that $22,000? Some people won't be able to find it. Some people won't be able to find that $22,000. So they and their children are going to miss out. They're going to miss out. That could be missing out on what food goes on the table. That could be missing out on staying in their home. They might have to sell their house. They might have to move from where they're renting to somewhere else. That could mean the kids don't get to stay in the same school—because they have to move.

It also means that some people that are small-business owners—and we know those sitting on the government benches don't like small business; they do everything they can to push small business out of business. We are not a hundred per cent sure that there is anyone in the government, in either chamber, who has actually ever owned and run a small business, because they've got no experience or care or consideration—