Mallee residents are skipping meals to make ends meet due to Labor’s spiralling cost-of-living crisis, Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health and Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster says.

According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), many younger Australians and lower income households are spending up to one quarter of their net income on groceries according to responses so far to the consumer survey that forms part of the ACCC’s Supermarkets Inquiry. Survey responses close Tuesday 2 April 2024.

“Mallee residents told me they are going without meals or getting by on peanut butter on toast as a ‘meal’, just to get by. I spoke about the cost-of-living impact in Mallee while in Parliament because the Albanese Labor Government needs to hear these heartbreaking stories,” Dr Webster said.

The ACCC reported on Friday that Australians are spending time shopping around for savings, something very difficult to achieve with a lack of choice in many Mallee towns.

“Hard-working Australians burdened by skyrocketing grocery bills have the added blow of learning this month that the Albanese Labor Government won’t deliver on its $275 power bill reduction election promise and no cost-of-living relief in sight.

Dr Webster said Labor’s fresh food tax and other agricultural policies will further drive up the cost of groceries and fan the flames of the cost-of-living crisis.

“Mallee farmers have their hands tied behind their back thanks to Labor’s heavy-handed policies that treats them like the proverbial piggy bank to buy votes in the city,” Dr Webster said.

“Labor is draining Irrigation communities through water buybacks, prime agricultural land is being ripped up for transmission lines and wind turbines and Labor is forcing farmers to pay workers whether there is farm work to be done or not.

“Labor’s reviled fresh food tax passed the House of Representatives this week, forcing farmers to pay $50 million a year for the biosecurity risk brought by their international competitors.

“The Nationals have dragged Labor kicking and screaming to a proper ACCC inquiry into supermarket markup on Australian produce that doesn’t reflect falling farmgate prices.

“The Nationals have been fighting for our farmers while Labor slashes the tyres of farm productivity. Only a Coalition Government will support our farmers and help bring the cost-of-living down.”