Claire Chandler (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

In this slightly truncated time I have this afternoon, I want to draw on the points that some of my colleagues have made about the No. 1 issue that is raised with me by my constituents back in the great state of Tasmania. That is the crippling cost-of-living crisis that is being felt across the country, particularly in my own state, and the frustration of my constituents and the broader public at the fact that the government does not yet seem to be taking this issue seriously. Australians still remember that the Prime Minister, Mr Anthony Albanese, promised on multiple occasions over the last 18 or so months that he would fix the cost-of-living crisis. But, if you look at how all of the indicators are tracking over that time, it is plain to see that the cost of household items and services is only continuing to go up and up and up. The cost of food is up 8.2 per cent. The cost of housing is up 10.4 per cent. The cost of insurance is up 17.3 per cent. All of these increases are being felt in the hip pockets of Tasmanians and, indeed, Australians.

How does this government expect us to keep up with these inflationary pressures? We know that inflation in this country is now higher than in most advanced economies. In fact, core inflation is higher in Australia than it is in Germany, in France, in Italy, in the United States, in Japan and in Canada. This situation is untenable for many Australians and their families, and they are the one who have to bear the brunt of this cost-of-living crisis.

I was glad to hear the Senate's cost-of-living committee mentioned in the context of this debate. That is a very good committee, chaired by my friend and colleague Senator Jane Hume, and it is doing some incredibly good work. We had that committee down in Hobart earlier on in the year, and it was my pleasure to speak with witnesses at that committee, particularly Foodbank Tasmania and the St Vincent de Paul Society, about the pressures that they are seeing on the services that they provide the community, with unprecedented levels of individuals trying to access their services—food relief and that sort of thing. It is very clear to me from those committee hearings that this is an acute issue in Tasmania. Tasmanians are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. Australians are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. All we really want is for this government over here on the government benches to get on with their plan that they seemingly have to deal with this, but right now, 18 months later, I don't have any faith that they will.

Question agreed to.