STATEMENTS BY SENATORS

Senator COLLINS (New South Wales—Deputy Opposition Whip in the Senate) (13:35): We must defend Australian values and restore our way of life. We want our country to be, once again, one of opportunity and aspiration, a nation of freedom and safety, strength and unity, where hard work is rewarded and the future is something you can plan for, not fear. Australians deserve a country where life is affordable again, where young people can buy a home, where families can raise their kids with confidence, where 'fair go' isn't a slogan—it's reality.

That's why we will re-establish homeownership as the centrepiece of the Australian dream, because stability, security and aspiration matter. We stand for an immigration policy that is in Australia's interests. It is orderly, sustainable and grounded in Australian values.

The numbers have been too high and the standards too low. We stand for lower inflation, lower interest rates and lower taxes. We stand for an energy policy built on common sense, not Labor's flawed ideological experiments that drive up prices and threaten reliability.

We will reduce financial pressures on families, expand childcare choice, give children the best possible start in life and respect that families know what works best for them. We will properly fund our Defence Force to deter aggression in an increasingly uncertain world. After four years in office, Labor has ruined the economy and their record is clear, with the biggest fall in living standards in the developed world, inflation higher than every major advanced economy, 14 interest rate rises and debt racing towards a trillion dollars.

Australians are paying more and getting less. This is what happens when a government loses control of the basics and Australians pay the price. We believe Australia can do better and we are ready to deliver it.