Cameron Caldwell
Fadden · Liberal National Party · Australia
“I rise today with a heavy heart, because the scourge of domestic and family violence is no longer just a headline in the media for our local community. This week it has been happening in our own backyard. In Biggera Waters, 23-year-old Mallorie Jane Roberts, a young mum with a little son, was allegedly shot and killed in her own home.”
“I also want to acknowledge the courage of neighbour Sharon Burgess, who did what every decent Australian hopes they would. She called triple zero and desperately tried to save Mallorie's life until paramedics arrived. Sadly, Mallory could not be saved. Then, in Hope Island just a couple of nights ago, another horror unfolded.”
“To all of us in this place: we must be clear; domestic and family violence must be called out wherever it occurs. Backed by our brave police, frontline services, neighbours, families and a community that refuses to look away, we must work together to end domestic and family violence.”
“My question is to the Minister for Aged Care and Seniors. In February 2026, a constituent of mine, Mr Austin, aged 98, had his aged-care application reviewed by Labor's AI tool. Despite his age and having suffered a life-threatening fall, his application was assessed as 'low priority'.”
“I second the amendment. I support the Manager of Opposition Business. This is a worthwhile amendment to the motion and one that respects the longstanding traditions held in relation to the conduct of this committee.”
“The housing minister has talked about a 10 to 20 per cent 'correction', and that should concern every Australian with a mortgage. That's not a housing plan; that's an admission that this government has lost control. Sadly, the great Australian dream has turned into a nightmare under this Labor government.”
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“At the recent election, whilst the result was not in favour of the coalition, I still believe that Australians expect us to deliver a strong robust opposition to hold this government to account, to ensure that it's delivering on what it says it will deliver and to ensure that we have a strong and enduring democracy. I choose the challenge. I choose to speak up for the people of Fadden and of all around Australia, for the young couple who are priced out of the market, for the pensioner who's, quite frankly, too afraid to open their power bill and for the small businesses who are just trying to stay afloat. This is not just politics. It's personal. I've lived it.”
“We believe in responsibility—the idea that actions have consequences and that rewards come to those who contribute. And we believe in the family, the first and most important institution in our society. That is why we oppose policies that define Australians by race, class or postcode. We believe in a nation united by common values, not by endless grievance. This parliament has a choice. It can be a theatre of slogans or a forum of substance. It can rubberstamp more of the same, or it can challenge the direction in which we're heading.”
“We want an education system that builds character, rewards excellence and prepares our youth for a life of contribution, not dependence. And let us be honest about universities. They must be places of learning, not activism. Free speech must be protected, and practical degrees, particularly in teaching, health and engineering, must be supported by real-world placements, not just ideological frameworks. I wanted to say a word or two about values. The Governor-General spoke of fairness, aspiration and opportunities. These words matter, but under Labor they are being redefined. Fairness is not promising more while delivering less, aspiration is not penalising those who strive hard, and opportunity is not creating a culture of dependency. We on this side of the House believe in freedom—the freedom to work, to speak, to worship and to build.”
“Labor says it will ban supermarket price gouging, but, if the government truly wanted to bring prices down, it would start by unleashing supply, especially in agriculture, energy and housing. Instead it gives us taskforces and temporary relief while keeping the same broken policies that caused the crisis. On education, the government says it will pursue universal early learning and free TAFE. These sound noble, but we must ask: where is the substance and when will it be delivered? Where, more importantly, is the national curriculum review to lift standards in literacy and numeracy? Where is the accountability to ensure funding translates into better outcomes, not just more bureaucracy? The coalition believes in empowering parents and educators, not overloading them with ideological agendas.”
“This is a government that claims to help families while adding to their burdens—a government that celebrates economic indicators while ignoring economic lived experience by the average Australian. Labor is creating a two-tiered economy—one of bureaucratic subsidies and short-term handouts; the other of small businesses and working Australians who are keeping the country running. It's small businesses like the one that I ran in Hope Island that carry the real weight of economic responsibility. They are the ones that hire the apprentices, sponsor our local footy clubs and keep the lights on during downturns. And what do they get in return? They get higher costs, more red tape and compliance requirements and less support from this government.”
“Now, probably the issue that got the most discussion during the last parliament was the cost of living. The Governor-General claimed that inflation is moderating, interest rates are falling and real wages are growing. This, in terms of headlines, comes as news to millions of Australians who are still paying over $4 for a litre of milk, $2.20 for a litre of petrol and thousands a year extra on their mortgage repayments. The government boasted of tax cuts, but let's be clear; these were not really new tax cuts at all. They were a repackaged version of coalition policies, and they do not undo the financial pain caused by Labor's reckless spending and inflationary budgets, and bracket creep continues to penalise aspiration.”
“We cannot wait until the 2030s for the first submarines to arrive while our adversaries modernise at a much faster pace. In cybersecurity, our agencies our stretched. In immigration, border integrity is weakening and we've seen illegal boat arrivals. Once stopped, they're now creeping back onto the radar. The coalition has always believed in strong borders and a strong defence force. We do not apologise for prioritising national security, nor will we sit quietly while Labor talks tough but acts slow. We must increase our defence readiness, support our veterans with timely DVA services and invest in sovereign capabilities across missiles, drones, cyber and logistics. National security is not just a media cycle; it's a generational responsibility.”
“The Governor-General said this is a time of 'global uncertainty', words which have been mentioned in this chamber many times of late, and I think we all agree. But Labor's record on defence is one of delay, deferral and, quite frankly, underdelivery. The Prime Minister flies to summits and hosts some warm photo opportunities, but, behind the scenes, key procurement projects are stalling and our naval shipbuilding program is under constant review. Critical defence infrastructure is behind schedule. Recruitment numbers are falling, and morale is low. The AUKUS agreement, an initiative born under a coalition government, is being treated as a political trophy by Labor rather than the vital security undertaking that it truly is.”
“Labor continues to sideline dispatchable, affordable energy sources that have powered our industries and homes for decades. It is clear that this government is more interested in virtue signalling to international climate conferences than delivering energy that's reliable and affordable for everyday Australians. We should be investing in technology-neutral solutions, including gas, carbon capture and greater grid resilience alongside renewables. Instead, Labor is driving out investment, creating grid instability and condemning Australian industry to higher costs and greater uncertainty. Energy is not just a household expense. It should be a national competitive advantage, but, under this government, it's becoming a national liability. Let me speak about national security and defence.”
“Turning to energy, the Governor-General spoke of 'energy bill relief' and a 'renewable transition', yet, most significantly, electricity prices have surged by 20 per cent in some parts of the country under this government, despite $40 billion in renewables subsidies and endless fanfare over battery programs. Families in my electorate of Fadden and across Australia still struggle to pay their power bills. The government proudly announced its Cheaper Home Batteries Program, but I ask: how many households can actually afford the upfront cost of installing a $15,000 battery, even with a subsidy? For most Australians, this is not relief; it's a rebate for the well off. Meanwhile, our base load power capacity is shrinking. The Liddell plant has closed, and other power generators are under threat.”
“Instead, we have a government that centralises control while hiding behind targets it knows it won't meet. And let's not forget the build-to-rent scheme, announced with much fanfare but with almost nothing built and little hope of making a real dent in the rental crisis. The Labor government says it will train more tradies—and that's welcome. But where is the urgency? Where is the national coordination, and where is the recognition that you cannot build homes without workers? You can't attract workers without supporting small businesses, the ones that employ and train them. We, on this side of the House, believe in home ownership as a pillar of social stability and personal empowerment. We see that as your stake in Australia. Unfortunately, the Albanese Labor government now see it as a distant dream that needs to be rationed and managed.”
“In my own local electorate of Fadden, young couples tell me that they're giving up on the dream of owning a home, not because they don't work hard, not because they are not willing to save, but because Labor's policies are pushing affordability further and further out of reach with every passing financial quarter. The Help to Buy scheme, offering government equity in private homes, is not a solution; it's a sign of surrender. Instead of addressing the root cause of unaffordable housing—namely, land release delays, excessive regulation and chronic underinvestment in enabling infrastructure—Labor is embedding state dependency into homeownership. We should be unlocking private capital, reducing development bottlenecks and unleashing the construction sector.”
“I want to respond directly to the agenda that was outlined by the Governor-General on behalf of the Labor government, because, while the rhetoric was polished, the reality for Australians is anything but. Let us begin with the issue that weighs most heavily on families, young Australians and retirees alike: housing. The Governor-General declared that homeownership is within reach, thanks to Labor's so-called Homes for Australia plan—a headline commitment of 1.2 million new homes over five years. It sounds impressive, until you realise that the government has no credible plan to meet it. Approvals are down, completions are down and costs broadly are up.”
“I add my congratulations to the new member for Whitlam on her maiden speech. It's a great honour to rise for the first time to address this place and to speak to her constituents that recently elected her. I do so today, not for my first time, but the first time following a general election, where I have the opportunity to genuinely speak in reply to the Governor-General's address last Tuesday. I do so with a deep sense of responsibility to the people of my electorate of Fadden and to the people of the Gold Coast in Queensland, who have entrusted me to be their voice in this chamber. As we begin the 48th parliament, Australians face a government determined to dress up inaction as progress and spin as strategy.”
“I commend this motion to the House and urge the government to stop the spin, scrap the socialist economics and start backing the Australians who build, employ and serve our community with pride.”
“Every apprenticeship begins with a business that's willing to invest, and every strong community is built on local enterprise, not bureaucratic interference. So let me be clear: the coalition will always back small business. We believe in lower, simpler and fairer taxes; we will cut red tape, not add to it; we will make it easier to employ Australians, not more expensive; we will empower local business owners, not bury them in compliance; and, most of all, we will restore confidence—because, when small business thrives, Australia thrives. To every small business across the country: we hear you and we back you, and we're fighting for you every single day, because you deserve better than this high tax, low trust, anti-enterprise Labor government.”
“What's innovative about drowning people in red tape? What's productive about energy policy that drives up bills and drives out jobs? What kind of government thinks it's a win when fewer Australians have the confidence to go and start a small business? These are salt-of-the-earth Australians doing their best, every day, in spite of the barriers that this government continues to put in their way. What are these businesses telling me? They're sick of being ignored. They're sick of being taxed more, regulated more and appreciated less. They're sick of this Labor government that views them as political collateral instead of economic partners. And they're absolutely right. On this side, we stand for small business because we know that every job starts with a risk taken.”
“Let's look at their record: record insolvencies, flatlining confidence, cost of business rising, regulation strangling business to death—and somehow, according to the Treasurer, this is all just going fine. This is the same Treasurer who wants to impose a family savings tax on unrealised capital gains, a tax on wealth that hasn't even been earned yet. I've heard of taxing success, as a concept, but taxing potential success? That's next level tax creativity. If you're a small-business owner thinking about investing in equipment or property, this is the kind of policy that makes you think twice or just throw in the towel, because Labor could move the goalposts at any time. They talk a big game on productivity, innovation and inclusion, but what's inclusive about a system that punishes family businesses simply trying to get ahead?”
“Small businesses aren't just part of the economy, they are the economy. They create jobs, they train apprentices, they sponsor our local footy clubs and they're at the school fetes and Saturday morning markets. In my electorate, from Coomera to Coombabah, from Labrador to Ormeau, small businesses are the glue that holds our community together, and let me proudly remind the House that the Gold Coast is the small-business capital of Australia. More than any other region, we know what it takes to take a risk, back yourself and build something from the ground up, and I know that personally because I've been a business owner. I know what it's like to worry about making payroll, to wear every single hat that's required, to back your reputation with every job that you do. Labor just doesn't get it.”
“I rise today in strong support of this motion that's been moved by the shadow minister for small business, because it speaks to a simple truth, that small businesses across Australia are under siege and that it's this Labor government that is front and centre of that attack, and I'll join with my friend the member for Bean in welcoming back the shadow minister, the member for Goldstein, who is a strong advocate for small businesses across our nation. I know those opposite love a good talking point but here's a fact that cuts through all. Under Labor, Australia has recorded the highest number of small business insolvencies in history—real people, real businesses, real livelihoods—and they're being failed by a government that's too busy managing headlines to manage the economy. We on this side of the House understand what's at stake.”
“Girl Guides Queensland continues to foster leadership and confidence in our young girls, values that will shape our future generations. Of course, the tirelessly hardworking team at the Paradise Point & Districts Meals On Wheels bring meals and companionship to seniors and those in need. The compassion cannot be overstated. Our sporting pride, the Gold Coast Hockey Association, was also a worthy recipient as well as the North Gold Coast RSL Sub Branch, the custodians of our veteran community in the north of our city.”
“I rise today to acknowledge the outstanding community organisations in the Fadden electorate who have recently received funding through the Stronger Communities Program. These grants are about backing our volunteers, carers, parents, coaches and supporters who are the heartbeat of our local community. In Coomera, the AEIOU Foundation continues its vital work supporting children with autism and their families, helping young Queenslanders thrive. The Fibromyalgia ME/CFS Gold Coast Support Group provides a lifeline to locals battling chronic illness. Their work offers hope, empathy and strength where they're needed. And some of our local P&Cs, like Coomera State School and Biggera Waters State School, play a critical role in building stronger schools, supporting our teachers and our students alike.”
“The real failure is not providing the settings for others to do so. Their policies are confused, their coordination is non-existent, and they're credibility is going, going, gone. I wonder if the minister will now concede that it's time to stop using the word 'ambitious' and replace it with 'unachievable', 'delusional' or 'misguided'. The Australian people deserve better than spin in place of shelter. They deserve a government that can match population growth with infrastructure, that can enable builders not bury them and that can enable the private sector to get on with doing what they do—building houses, roads, shopping centres and playgrounds. Labor has had three years to show leadership on housing, and all they can show is failure. They can't build homes. They can't manage supply. They can't fix the crisis.”
“Labor is bringing in more people than we are building homes. It's a basic economic imbalance that puts upward pressure on prices, inflates rents and prices Australians out of the market. Where's the plan to align migration, infrastructure and housing? Now, let's talk renters. Labor said they would act on rents. They said they would take pressure of families. But, under their watch, rents have skyrocketed up to 30 per cent in some parts of this country. Their only solution? More red tape, more talking points and more false hope. Even social housing, their so-called priority, has stagnated. Labor's approach seems to be to announce the money, pocket the headline and then walk away from responsibility. This is a government that can't get the foundations right, literally. They cannot and will not construct housing.”
“And yet, she remains the public face of a housing policy that's so hollow not even termites will move in. Make no mistake: this is policy failure and economic failure. Labor has utterly failed to provide the conditions for housing construction across all sectors. The private market, the not-for-profit sector and even state governments are hamstrung by policy paralysis here in Canberra. Builders are crying out for certainty, local governments are asking for coordination, and families are desperate for a roof over their heads. And what they're getting from this is delay, dysfunction and dishonesty. And it gets worse. Labor's immigration settings are running at full tilt. Net overseas migration topped 500,000 last year, but housing completions are dropping. There's now a yawning mismatch between migration and housing supply.”
“They talk a big game about the Housing Australia Future Fund. The $10 billion allocation was proudly announced with much fanfare. But, two years on, that fund has delivered a grand total of 17 homes. That's right—17 homes. To put it in context, that's one home for every 43 days since the fund was announced. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister continues to ramble on about solutions, but he has quietly relocated his once-beloved Minister for Housing and Homelessness. She used to sit around about there, just behind the Prime Minister, but now she's been shuffled so far down the front bench she might as well be out in the cark park. She's now further from the Prime Minister than the member for Sydney. In Labor terms, that is really saying something.”
“If housing were a game of hide-and-seek, Labor would be world champions, because no-one can seem to find the houses that they promised would be built. We were told Labor had a plan, a so-called ambitious target of 1.2 million homes over five years. But ambition without ability is, quite simply, fantasy. According to the Property Council of Australia and as now validated by Treasury, Labor is on track to miss this target by a staggering 400,000 homes. That's not a small error; that's the equivalent of forgetting to house the entire city of Canberra twice over. Let's be clear: the core of this crisis is not the weather or the war in Ukraine or some mysterious supply chain ghost; the core of this crisis is Labor's catastrophic mismanagement of the policy levers that drive housing supply.”
“In the spirit of bipartisanship, I wrote to the Minister for Sport seeking her support for these clubs on 2 June. That was now 51 days ago, and there has not been a reply. We know that the minister loves sport. She loves the Olympics, but she will not win a gold medal in responding to correspondence. I would ask that the minister seriously consider supporting these projects in all electorates to make sure that our grassroots sports are supported.”
“I rise today to champion one of the backbone parts of our community in my electorate of Fadden: our local sporting clubs—clubs like the Coomera Colts, Helensvale Pacific Pines Hawks, Labrador Legends soccer and the Southport Labrador Cricket Club. These clubs are volunteer run, community built and growing fast, especially with the rise of female participation in sport. But our girls are being forced to change in cars, public toilets and shared male spaces just because their clubs lack inclusive facilities. I was pleased to commit to projects at each of these clubs prior to the recent election. They had projects that were shovel ready and costed—critical projects to build change rooms, particularly for our young girls to change in a safe, dignified and accessible space. If the coalition won government, I was confident we would deliver.”
“A family with two cars, the mum who has to run the kids to netball, soccer and dancing, or the tradie who drives from job to job—they'll likely save much more. The Treasurer offered up 70c a day in 15 months time, and what are Australians saying about that and the Labor budget? It is too little, too late. Only the coalition will get Australia back on track.”
“Australians are facing a cost-of-living crisis at the hands of the Albanese Labor government. Because Labor has kept inflation too high for too long, Australians are paying the price with higher groceries, higher insurance, high electricity and higher mortgages. These costs are higher because of the Albanese Labor government. The coalition is committed to getting Australia back on track and restoring our standard of living immediately. That's why today we have announced that a Dutton led coalition will halve the fuel excise for 12 months, as the first order of business in the new parliament. The fuel excise is 50c a litre. We will slash that to 25c a litre on both petrol and diesel. That means around $750 in savings per car over that 12-month period. Of course, many households and businesses will do even better than that.”
“Finally, I wanted to mention that Queensland is an incredible state with an incredibly diverse range of events. Right now, there is a huge amount of water lying across parts of inland Queensland and up north. I think the rain will continue to fall for a few days to come, and the flooding will likely worsen. To those people affected by current events, all of us Queenslanders are with you. We've seen that when these things happen, whether it be cyclones in North Queensland, flooding in Townsville or rain events on the Gold Coast, we are able to all band together to make sure our communities are looked after as best they can be. To those impacted by the current events further north, we're thinking of you, and, if you need anything, we're here to help.”
“We've seen vision across our country and probably across the world in relation to the erosion on our beaches. I was fortunate enough to visit the beach last weekend. It looks bad, but we will get through that as well. It has been scarped along the beaches previously, from other weather events. We can get that back to being the beautiful, pristine Gold Coast beach that we're famous for. But they're still usable. Credit to the Gold Coast city council, who were able to get those beaches open—most of them on the following weekend—for some sort of safe use by the public. That work will continue for many months, but I know the objective is that those beaches be back to tiptop condition in time for the Easter school holidays. We look forward to welcoming many people from around Australia to our neck of the woods.”
“I visited, for example, Biggera Waters State School for a cleanup working bee. Kylie, the principal, and her team were doing a wonderful job to get the kids back to school as soon as they could. Later in the week, I went to Woongoolba State School, which is one of the oldest schools on the Gold Coast, formed in 1878. It's a small school, but they had pushed so hard to try and get back to normal in the cane lands, where we had water across many roads. Jacobs Well village was still without power for a couple of days, at that point. To the principal, Michael, thank you for efforts and leadership, because that means a lot to our local community out in your part of the world. To all of the people in our community, thank you for preparing so well and for being so good about it.”
“For many people in my electorate, this was only just over a year after a very nasty tornado ripped through on Christmas Day. To be quite honest, this was all too much, too soon for many of my residents—but we got there. We got there together. People got through the power outages. They got through the school closures. We went for days where there was no milk and bread on the supermarket shelves. I must say thank you to my dear friends, Sam and Greg, who are our neighbours, who split a generator across the dividing fence between our two properties. That is the kind of thing that got everyone through this time around. People took the preparation very earnestly, and I think that paid off. We shouldn't lose sight of the impact that this event had on many of our schools and our schoolchildren.”
“I went out to the car park and bumped into some of the work crews who'd been out all night for many nights in a row, putting out road closure signs, cutting down debris and trees and making roads and pathways safe. To those guys and girls who were out there with chainsaws, signs and sandbags in the rain, thank you for what you do, because that makes an enormous amount of difference to the way that all of our residents feel as these events unfold. We were very fortunate, because the impact probably wasn't as severe as what was expected. But that's not to say we weren't impacted. We were still struck by major flooding and erosion. We had days and days of loss of power, loss of internet, loss of mobile phone services and, of course, school closures.”
“I also want to give a shout out to the Energex workers and the first responders: the police, the ambulance and the SES. They all played an enormously importantly role in responding to this event and in the recovery that followed. As I walked around the disaster management centre, I was fortunate enough to see many of my old council friends there, because the council staff are effectively the backbone of what goes on, including our planners and engineers. For example, I saw Trish Apps, who was there in the deputy role; Jeremy Wagner; and Alisha Swain, who's one of the senior managers, all doing their bit to contribute to the way that this disaster was prepared for and responded to.”
“Councillor Gates; CEO Tim Baker; the Gold Coast Disaster and Emergency Management Centre manager, Mark Ryan; and local recovery coordinator, Cath Drinkwater, all did an absolutely stellar job. I was fortunate enough to visit the disaster management centre with the Leader of the Opposition, Peter Dutton, and also my colleague the member for Moncrieff and see the operations in full swing. For those of you who are familiar with the way that disaster preparedness, recovery and response activities are, you can ramp up from virtually no staff in that building to hundreds of people working in a coordinated and very effective way in a quick period of time. To see the level of activity, the level of energy and the way that the teams were going about doing their work was extremely impressive.”
“I think that the confidence that the premier gave to the people of Queensland really resonated, and they acted and followed his leadership. I'm very fortunate that the premier is also a local member within my electorate, and we were able to go and visit some businesses in Paradise Point just to see how their preparations were going. Everyone was being very earnest in what they were doing to prepare. With the next layer down, I've got to say that the work by the Gold Coast Disaster and Emergency Management Centre was absolutely outstanding. For the majority of the time, Councillor Donna Gates, who's the deputy mayor at the moment, was acting mayor and was chairing the disaster coordination. She did an absolutely outstanding job during that period of time. When Mayor Tate returned from leave he then took over that role.”
“I take this opportunity to rise to speak in relation to Tropical Cyclone Alfred, and then ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred as it continued to cause devastation across the Gold Coast. Firstly, I think it's worthwhile mentioning that I really think this was one of the best prepared-for disasters that we have faced in the Gold Coast region. I put that squarely down to the leadership of Premier David Crisafulli and his team, who took a genuinely fresh approach to the way that they communicated the need to prepare. A division having been called in the House of Representatives— Sitting suspended from 11:55 to 12:07 I was just saying how wonderful our Premier of Queensland was particularly in the lead-up to this natural disaster, Tropical Cyclone Alfred. There was a noticeable change in tone and language.”
“That is just one of the things that we will do to help restore prosperity in our economy. We must get Australia back on track with a coalition government.”
“We know that we can't afford another three years of Labor. We simply must get Australia back on track. We know that there are so many sectors that are under attack by this Labor government. What was exposed today and laid bear in question time was that small businesses under this government are going to continue to suffer. If it weren't enough to put up their power prices and to destroy their businesses with industrial relations frameworks that are completely unworkable, what we have now seen is that an instant asset write-off that they quite simply could have claimed in a very simple ATO transaction has now been reduced to $1,000. What the coalition will do is support small and family businesses by providing a $30,000 instant asset write-off, and we will make that permanent.”
“Food has gone up by 13 per cent, insurance is up by 19 per cent and electricity is up by 32 per cent, and yet what did we see last night from this amazing Treasurer? We saw $150 off your electricity bill. That's not touching the sides because the reality of this cost-of-living crisis that every Australian family is facing is that, if you are a mortgage holder, you are $50,000 worth off than when Labor came to office. And so, tomorrow night, the Leader of the Opposition will speak from the dispatch box. He will give his budget reply speech, and I think it's something that Australians should tune in to. He will outline a pathway to prosperity and a pathway to a secure nation, economically and in terms of our national security credentials. It doesn't have to be like this, under this terrible Albanese Labor government.”
“There is nothing of substance to offer the Australian people beyond a sprinkling of cash—70c a day in 12 months time. We were so shocked by this pathetic attempt to try to buy votes that we almost lost sight of the fact that we have now nudged $1 trillion of national debt. This Treasurer and this Albanese Labor government have completely lost control of the finances of the nation. That means that the household budget now hurts even more. These tax cuts, as they have been described, are nothing more than a cruel hoax. I stand outside shopping centres in my electorate in places like Labrador, Pacific Pines and Coomera. At each of these locations in recent weeks, people were gravely concerned about the cost of groceries.”
“It's wonderful to have the opportunity to rise to speak on this adjournment on the day after the budget was handed down by Treasurer Jim Chalmers. How do Australians feel today—the day after this wonderful Jim Chalmers budget? Well, I can tell you how they feel. They feel just as broke as they felt yesterday. That is the truth of it, because Treasurer Jim Chalmers did not charm us. He's a doctor, but he's not a doctor of economics; he is a doctor of spin. So what we saw was lots of slick lines. There was a sprinkling of cash. But, honest to goodness, this was not what Australians were looking for. The Treasurer aspires to greatness. We know that he's studied Paul Keating, one of the greatest Labor figures of our time. But this Treasurer is Keating-lite.”
“Every other advanced economy last year was seeing interest rates coming down, but, in Australia, we have a Treasurer who is addicted to big spending, big bureaucracy and therefore bigger inflation. That has set the baseline for the pain that Australians are feeling as they pay their rent and their mortgage. We need to get Australia back on track.”
“So, at the next election, the coalition stands ready to deliver a cheaper, cleaner and consistent 24/7 power source for our nation that will deliver jobs and security for us to remain prosperous off the backbone of that energy grid. As Australians go to the ballot boxes, they will be thinking about whether or not they are better off now than they were when Labor came into office in May 2022. The answer to that is a clear and resounding no. This is not just some sort of fictional thing that people are imagining. This is their real lived experience over the term of this Labor government. One critical point for Australian families has been out-of-control mortgage rises.”
“Let's make a contrast here between the Leader of the Opposition, who is one of the choices for Prime Minister for the Australian people at the next election, and the current Prime Minister, who, prior to the last election, made a promise—and he made this promise on more than 97 occasions—that Australians would receive a $275 reduction in their power bills. Since the election, that number has not been mentioned or uttered by the Prime Minister, but, more than that, he has utterly failed to deliver it. More than that, he has actually gone back on his word because the reality is that power prices have gone up. In New South Wales and Queensland, for example, we have seen record highs in wholesale prices and market volatility spiralling completely out of control.”
“So instead of standing here and talking about something meaningful to the people of Australia—to Western Australia and the people of Hasluck—we get this diatribe that made no sense whatsoever about the Leader of the Opposition. It's actually quite embarrassing that the Labor Party has nothing more to contribute. But I'll tell you what they have contributed over their nearly three years in government, and that is an energy policy that is leading to higher power prices and rolling blackouts across Australia. Australian businesses and households are being crippled by the price rises in their energy bills. Instead of having a plan for affordability or reliability to keep the lights on, Labor are too busy screaming about the nemesis that they see in the Leader of the Opposition.”
“I thoroughly enjoyed that contribution from the member for Hasluck on what I'm pretty confident will be her last day in this place, because if we go to an election the people of Hasluck actually deserve a good representative. When I say good, I mean Mr Goode, the candidate for the Liberal Party in that seat. Quite frankly, he will conduct himself properly in this place, unlike the member for Hasluck and the contribution that has been made there, which just goes to show how out of touch this Labor government are with reality. The Leader of the Opposition is living rent free in their heads. They cannot get past the concept of Peter Dutton—the member for Dickson, the Leader of the Opposition—being elected as the Prime Minister.”