Hollie Hughes (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's Melbourne Cup day today, and normally most Australians would be looking forward to three o'clock—having a bit of a punt, a chicken sandwich and a glass of bubbles as they await the race that stops the nation. Instead, more and more Australian families and households are going to be awaiting the announcement of the Reserve Bank. This will determine those families' future in so many instances, because we know that, since we have seen the Albanese government come to power, there has been an explosion of working poor in this country. As food costs, energy costs, transport costs and insurance costs rise, Australian families—many of them with two working parents—for the first time in their lives are having to ask for assistance from food banks to keep food on the table.

This is happening under the watch of those opposite, yet we see absolute ignorance from them when it comes to the economy. They have no concept. In fact, they can barely contain themselves from telling Australians they've never had it so good since the government came in because of everything they're doing. But every decision they make affects more and more working Australians, creating a class of working poor in this country. You should all be ashamed of yourselves. How you could go back to any of the states that you represent and look at those families who'll be making phone calls to their banks come next week to look at interest-only payments, reducing payments and payment schedules! Forget about the ones who've got to the point where they've lost all their savings, there is no buffer anymore and it's a matter of choosing between keeping the house or paying the rent and feeding the children—all under your watch.