Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Families and Payments) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to take this opportunity to talk about the recent launch in Hobart of the ALP caucus Cost of Living Committee. The committee is chaired by Ms Terri Butler and the secretary of the committee is Senator Sam Dastyari. The committee held hearings in Hobart because, as many senators would know, Tasmania has a high level of unemployment, a high level of chronic disease, a high level of people living on welfare and the highest aged population in Australia. The cost-of-living issues that were raised were particularly important in terms of the budget brought down in May by the Abbott government.

Some of the issues that were raised there included the fact that people were concerned about income inequality, access to public transport and, in particular, access to education. Another issue that was raised and that got a lot of focus was the issue of privatisation, particularly of our energy infrastructure. Fortunately, some of the people who attended were able to give us an expert view on what the result of privatisation of electricity in other states had actually delivered. It was not good news and of course you, Deputy President Marshall, would know that because we are of course talking about Victoria as well. Many expert views were put forward. A number of organisations that attended actually dealt with the issue of people who are doing it tough, people who are vulnerable and also people who have a number of vulnerabilities in terms of drug and alcohol misuse. A particular organisation was very concerned about what would happen if a number of the measures that were put forward by the Abbott government were realised.

We are talking in particular about the under-30s measures and the concern around that and about how people are already finding it hard to make their precious dollars actually stretch from week to week, to be able to provide for their families. Some people there were concerned that currently they are not able to provide all the necessities. I am only talking about the necessities from week to week. I am not talking about extra activities for their children, the extra activities that normally come when children go to school such as an extra excursion. And that costs money. Some families cannot provide these things for their children.

So we already have a very tight budget and, in fact, as I have said some families are not even able to meet that budget now. There is now quite a lot of concern about what would happen if some of the measures under the Abbott government's budget are realised.

In particular we talked about the interest that applies to a number of credit cards and same-day loans. I am not sure that is the correct terminology, but there was a concern and a story was told— (Time expired)