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

With this last Senate day of the year, Labor have again shown that they will do anything but provide an honest answer to questions that are asked in this place. Preparing for my contribution on the take note debate today, I did note that I had the great responsibility of being one of the speakers in the debate on the last sitting day of last calendar year. I looked back through that contribution to see what I said and whether or not it was still timely and relevant. You'll be pleased to know, Mr Deputy President, that it is. On 1 December 2022, I said:

Right now, under Anthony Albanese and Labor, we have an economy with high inflation, rapidly rising interest rates and skyrocketing costs of living.

Here we are, 12 months down the track, and not a lot has changed.

We've seen, time and time again, government members attempting to deflect just criticism made against them, go off on rambling tangents and flat out reject answering questions. I will give them this, they are certainly consistent in that regard. If you cast your mind back to before the election and before this government was in power, they were telling everybody who would listen that they would be a government of transparency and accountability and openness. It's almost as if they went out of their way to say whatever they thought would get them across the line on election night back in May 2022, but with absolutely no intention of holding true to these promises. They made promises like fixing the cost of living and providing Australians with cheaper mortgages, which, as I said, was one of the exact same things we were talking about on this day last year.

This government has failed to realise that when they fail to answer questions, when they go out of their way to deflect valid and just criticism, when they dither, when they stall and when they stumble they are treating this place and the Australian public with absolute contempt. This government has serious questions to answer, from economic policy to migration to matters to national security. But what did we see and hear in question time today? We saw government ministers trying to downplay the situation and its consequences and trying to pretend it isn't their problem.

Let's look at the government's record on economic management—or, should I say, economic mismanagement. This government has failed to address the cost-of-living crisis that is currently plaguing Australians. Let's not forget, Anthony Albanese and Labor were the ones who promised Australians they would 'fix' the cost-of-living crisis. That was before the election, and now that they are in government all we've seen from this government is broken promise after broken promise after broken promise, and their promise to fix the cost-of-living crisis is just the same. It is hurting Australian families who are struggling to keep on top of the cost-of-living pressures as they try to manage their weekly household budgets, and in the lead-up to Christmas that is only getting harder. The costs of household staples, including groceries and filling the car with petrol, are only going up. For all their promises, things have only become worse under this Labor government.

And it wasn't long before we saw Labor trying to attribute blame to anyone and everything else. They just didn't—and still don't—want to take responsibility for their contribution to the cost-of-living crisis. They started complaining about the challenges of the economy and blaming external pressures for the spiralling cost of living. But we know that this narrative has been refuted by the Reserve Bank governor, who recently confirmed that Australia's world-leading inflation is being driven by domestic factors, not overseas—homegrown inflation. The Reserve Bank governor said, in relation to Australia's inflation rate, that the remaining inflation challenge we are dealing with is 'increasingly homegrown and demand driven'. Labor cannot continue to blame external factors for having an adverse impact on the economy, and Australians are increasingly aware that Labor is incapable of managing the economy and delivering on its promises.

But it doesn't stop there. Rising interest rates are pushing already-strained budgets as Australians struggle with increasing mortgages. The RBA's decision to hold interest rates at 4.35 per cent this week is cold comfort for hardworking Australians with a mortgage, particularly, as I said, in the lead-up to Christmas. This government has overseen a dozen interest rate rises—and that is one thing that has actually changed since this time last year, when I last spoke on this debate—which means the average mortgage holder is paying $24,000 a year more in interest repayments. As we approach Christmas, families will be paying even closer attention to their household budgets. It should be a time for celebration and happiness, but unfortunately so many hardworking Australian families will be forced to make tough financial decisions through no fault of their own, because of this government.

In the remaining time I have left, given that this is the last day of the Senate for the year: have a merry Christmas, everybody, and a happy new year.