Maria Kovacic (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

As we approach Christmas, Australians should be looking forward to a season of joy, celebration and togetherness, yet, under the Albanese Labor government, the reality for many is far from festive. Families are grappling with how to afford what can only be described as a cost-of-living Christmas, as the weight of this crisis bites deeper than ever. Australia is now enduring the longest per capita recession since records began. Six consecutive quarters of negative GDP per capita growth have left households struggling. Let me remind those opposite that, while they may dispute the technicalities of what constitutes a recession, rationalisation does not change the lived reality of Australians. Ignoring a problem doesn't mean it doesn't exist, and it doesn't make it go away.

This economic crisis is not just a statistic. It is a stark reflection of Labor's poor economic management. Under this government, real household incomes have fallen consistently, with disposable income down nine per cent since March 2022. Living standards have dropped 8.7 per cent over that same time, leaving Australians worse off than ever, despite working harder, paying more and facing higher taxes.

For many Australians, Christmas—our holiday season—is traditionally a time to relax, spend time with loved ones and enjoy the fruits of their hard work. However, this cherished time has increasingly become a source of stress. Jobseeking site Indeed reports a significant rise in searches for festive season roles compared to previous years, a sign of the growing financial strain on Australian households. The Salvation Army paints an even grimmer picture. Of those reaching out for food assistance this Christmas, 55 per cent will be doing so for the first time. These are people who are working but can't afford to pay their bills, and they can't afford to buy food to celebrate Christmas. Loneliness, anxiety and stress will affect 35 per cent of people this Christmas, while spending on gifts is set to drop by 48 per cent as families struggle to scrape together the funds for even the basics that they need.

The basics are far from affordable. The prices of Christmas staples have gone up since this government came to power. Christmas ham is up 17 per cent; turkey, 14 per cent; prawns, 32 per cent per kilo; and the pavlova, 38 per cent. This is the human cost of Labor's so-called economic progress. This Christmas, Australia will feel the weight of these costs. They'll see it in the empty seats at their table, as many families can't afford to travel to be together. They'll feel it in the rising price of groceries and in the mounting anxiety of stretched budgets and limited options. Families will be made to feel like they have failed each other when they can't be together.

These struggles are not happening in isolation. They are the result of broader economic pressures that the government's policies have failed to address. While the private sector falters, the government has leaned heavily on public sector spending, leaving household consumption at its weakest since the depths of the pandemic. Persistently high inflation and record migration continue to dilute economic growth, offering little relief to everyday Australians. While those opposite are quick to take credit for budget surpluses, these are cold comfort to Australians struggling to pay their bills. A surplus doesn't fill a fridge, lower a power bill or ease financial pressure on families.

There is no point playing a blame game here, but let's be clear. This government has had three budgets to address these issues. This is their economy. This is their crisis. This isn't political pointscoring; these are facts, and it is the reality for far too many Australians. As we look towards 2025 and the next election, Australians must ask themselves: are they any better off than they were three years ago, with their mounting bills and increasing costs? Has their cost of living improved? The answer for most is a definite and absolute no.

Australians deserve better than this. Australians deserve a government that fights for their future, not one that erodes it. Australians deserve a government that acknowledges and accepts the problems that are a reality for them every single day, when they struggle to pay their bills and make decisions about what their family can and can't have—not a government that tells them, 'No, it's not really that bad,' because it is absolutely that bad.