Dr WEBSTER (Mallee) (26/03/25 15:52): Well, what does this tricky Labor government have to say to struggling Australians who are $50,000 worse off under their leadership? What cost-of-living relief do they have for them? Well, hang in there. In 462 days, Labor will give you 70 cents a day. That's the generosity—the cruel hoax—of Labor's so-called cost-of-living relief for those struggling today under Labor's homegrown inflation crisis. If Labor were a prison warden, that would be a crumb flicked to the inmates for their daily meal. It gets worse. Labor rattle the bars as they strut to the election thinking they are so generous—so brilliant. But the Australian people, particularly regional Australians, are the inmates trapped after three years of 'hard Labor' in the Prime Minister's homegrown cost-of-living crisis and unable to escape. Those opposite have locked up aspirational Australians, taken away their housing affordability and locked up their food affordability as well. Australians' wages no longer buy what they once did at the supermarket.

Leaving aside for one moment this government's inaction on the major supermarkets and price gouging, let's look at the food price hikes under Labor. Bread is up over 20 per cent, cheese is up 18 per cent, milk is up 17 per cent and breakfast cereal is up 15 per cent. Add to that cost-of-living pressures like mortgage repayments, which are up 41 per cent; gas prices, which are up 32 per cent; and rents, which are up 17 per cent. Electricity bills are up by $1,300, not down by $275 like Labor promised 97 times before the last election. They want you to forget that, and here they are again with the parlour tricks, extending energy bill relief of $75 for two more quarters. Wow!

Mr Joyce: That'll do it.

Dr WEBSTER: Yes. So let's do the math—40c per day in energy bill relief until 31 December. Then wait for six months—no cost-of-living relief then. But then, on 1 July 2026, you get—wait for it—70c a day.

But it gets worse. Under Labor, income taxes are up over 25 per cent. As this engorged government feasts on your income, using it to spend on largesse that exacerbates the cost-of-living crisis, Labor tosses Australians a daily morsel of their tax back. This is a government swimming in income tax revenue, not to mention mineral resources revenue. The jackpot machine of the Australian success story is spitting out chips, but Labor is letting it all go down the drain of debt, deficit and bloated public spending. Yet they come along here, gagging MPs, ramming through a debate today to legislate a 70c-a-day tax cut beginning in 462 days time. Excuse me, and excuse the Australian public, and excuse the press gallery for being a little cynical. This is a cynical government, a tricky government with a tricky budget, and here they are saying, 'Have we got a clever trick for you!' The Australian public have worked this government out. Those opposite know it. Mallee residents, their fellow regional Australians and all Australians have become conditioned to bill shock. They're not happy about it at all, but they have become used to the higher cost of electricity under those opposite. The independent costing came in last year about the coalition's energy plans, which cost 44 per cent less than Labor's reckless renewables rollout, a rollout that is railroading my electorate of Mallee. Those opposite know they've lost the crowd—the everyday Australians going without a meal, putting groceries back on the shelf because they can't afford them, the pensioners not running their air-conditioners in stifling heat in Mallee, because they live in fear of the next power bill. Australians need a coalition government that respects them, respects their hard-earned income and will get Australia back on track.

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