Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Rennick's motion this afternoon is very timely because we know that we'll have a federal budget soon, in the next few hours, and in a few days we'll have the calling of an election, and within two months we'll have the outcome of that election and know who will be trusted to govern this country and chart the path forward. This election will be about who can manage the economy better and allow Australians to get ahead.

Australia cannot continue on its current path. Under Labor, inflation is higher, interest rates are up, sharply, and Australian households have had the largest fall in living standards in our history. Housing is unaffordable, and our country and our communities are less safe. As a nation we must do better to rebuild our economy and to get Australia back on track. On Thursday night we'll hear from the man that deserves to be the Prime Minister of our country, Peter Dutton, because he has the experience, conviction, energy and enthusiasm to put this country back on track.

The coalition will deliver something different to what has been delivered to Australians over the last three years. The coalition will deliver low inflation by cutting wasteful spending and reducing tax and red tape. The coalition will deliver cheaper energy with a mix of renewables, gas and zero emissions nuclear energy. The coalition will deliver more affordable housing by funding critical infrastructure and restricting foreign investors. The coalition will deliver on safer communities by getting tough on violent crime, boosting border security and improving online safety for children. And the coalition will deliver and sustain quality health care by funding more GPs and more bulk-billing, including more Medicare subsidised mental health sessions.

Across Western Australia, whether I'm travelling in the far north or across the Great Southern, Western Australians know, and have been telling me, that they can't afford another three years of Labor. They know Labor has failed them in Western Australia, failed to manage the economy, failed to keep them safe and failed to keep us united. Under Labor, Australians are paying more for food, more for rent and more for power and gas, and the dream of homeownership for young Australians has almost evaporated.

Australians have had the largest fall in living standards in the developed world under Labor. Small-business bankruptcies are at record highs under Labor. Anthony Albanese said in May 2022, almost three years ago, that life would be cheaper under Labor. He failed. More than that, the Prime Minister has shown himself to be weak, distracted and focused on the wrong priorities. The Prime Minister is out of his depth. He is incapable of fixing the problems facing Australia. Australians feel let down, and Australians deserve better.

Tonight's budget is a test for Anthony Albanese and Jim Chalmers. It's a test to see if Labor can deliver a budget for the next five years, not the next five or so weeks. Labor budgets, thus far, have been wasted opportunities. Australians have seen two windfall gains completely wasted, and tonight they will see a sea of deficits as far as the eye can see. Tonight the coalition will be looking for a budget that can restore a standard of living that has been lost under this Labor government. Australian living standards have collapsed further and faster than ever before.

At the election, Australians will have a clear choice. Can they guarantee, for their children and their grandchildren, living standards that are comparable to those that they've enjoyed for themselves or that their forefathers and foremothers enjoyed? The answer is simple: under Labor, you cannot be guaranteed a quality of life in Australia.