Jane Hume (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak on an issue that's weighing on the hearts and minds of Australians right across the country, and that, of course, is the cost-of-living crisis. Since the Albanese government was elected, real wages have fallen by nine per cent and living standards have collapsed by almost eight per cent. There have been 12 mortgage interest rate hikes, and prices for food and groceries are up more than 11 per cent. If Australians are feeling poorer, there's good reason for that. They, in fact, are poorer.

The cost-of-living crisis is not just a matter of numbers and not just a matter of statistics. It's also about real people who are struggling to make ends meet. As Chair of the Select Committee on the Cost of Living, I have been right around the country hearing directly from Australians about how this crisis is impacting them. Whether it be in Shepparton or Gladstone, Alice Springs or Port Augusta, Warwick Farm in Western Sydney or Pinjarra over in the west, the message is clear.

Most recently I went to South-East Queensland and to regional Victoria to hear firsthand from businesses and support services about how inflation and rising costs are influencing their businesses and local communities. While at a cost-of-living forum in Shepparton with the member for Nicholls, Sam Birrell, I heard from Glenn, who was representing the local Foodshare. He said that the rise in demand for their services is unprecedented. Australians are turning to support services not because they want to but because they have no other choice. This is not just in Shepparton. The cost-of-living committee survey identified that food and grocery prices are in fact the No. 1 cause of cost-of-living pressures in households.

Shepparton organisations are servicing an increasing number of employed locals, some of whom are working two jobs just to keep their heads above water but are still seeking help. And it's not just the people who are working multiple jobs who are struggling; it's also Australians with well-paying jobs. Quite shockingly, while I was in Queensland, I joined Henry Pike, the member for Bowman, to meet with Allison Wicks. She's the CEO of the Redlands Community Centre, a not-for-profit organisation which does extraordinarily good work. Allison spoke to me about the various ways in which this crisis is affecting her community and how they've had to tailor their services to meet the new demand. She mentioned one of the clients she's currently helping is a young family, a doctor and a nurse with a young child, who have had to use food relief services. This is extraordinary. This is unprecedented. As a result of the strain that local Redlands families are feeling, the Redlands Community Centre has had to expand the range of emergency assistance it provides to include babies' nappies and pet food.

At the cost-of-living forum in Nambour hosted by the member for Fairfax, Ted O'Brien, we heard similar stories. Most troubling to hear was evidence provided by the local Meals on Wheels representatives. They're seeing clients cut back on the number of meals they order, making one meal last across two days or sharing one meal between couples, because they can't afford to buy more than one. Not only does this have an impact on health; we also know that Meals on Wheels, as their slogan says, is so much more than just a meal. Much of what they do is about having that extra social interaction, and it's so vitally important to ordinary Australians. Indeed, when I was with the member for Canning in Western Australia, in Pinjarra, some months ago, we met a man, an octogenarian, who said that he travelled from town to town to play cards once a week but that he stopped doing that because he could no longer afford the petrol. These stories are the ones that break my heart.

It's not just about numbers on the page; it's not just about the lines on a budget paper. This is about the human cost. This growing demand for support services, such as those particularly provided by food relief services, is a stark indicator of the growing strain on households. It's a crisis that demands the government's immediate action. We cannot stand by while Australians are pushed further and further into hardship. We have to ensure that there are economic policies that address the root causes of the crisis, which of course are inflation, those skyrocketing energy costs and the burden of overheads on small businesses.

Because of Labor's economic decisions, their policy choices and their mismanagement and ineffective policy responses over the last two years, Australia is now in a situation where inflation and interest rates are staying higher for longer. It simply isn't good enough, and Australians demand and, rightfully so, should expect more. Australians can't afford another three years of Labor.