STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

Ms LANDRY (Capricornia—Chief Nationals Whip) (13:39): Australians are doing it tough, and nowhere is that felt more clearly than in communities like Capricornia. Families, small businesses and workers are battling rising costs, higher interest rates and pressure on household budgets. I'm being contacted regularly by constituents who are deeply concerned about the cost of living.

That is why Labor's push for new taxes on millions of Australians is so deeply concerning. At a time when people are trying to get ahead, this government is asking them to pay more. On this side, we have a very different view.

We believe Australians deserve relief, not more burden. We will axe Labor's toxic taxes and deliver bigger, automatic tax cuts to help with the cost of living. What does that mean in practice?

It means putting more money back into the pockets of hardworking Australians every single year. It means ensuring that, as prices rise, people are not pushed into paying more tax when they are no better off. For regional communities like Capricornia, that matters.

When costs go up, whether it's fuel, groceries or running a local business, people feel every dollar. When government policy makes it harder instead of easier, it puts real strain on regional economies. Our approach is simple: reward hard work, support local jobs and back small businesses so they can grow and employ more Australians.

We want to see families able to get ahead, young people able to afford a house and communities able to thrive, not being held back by higher taxes and uncertainty. Australians deserve a government that understands the pressures they face and acts to ease them, not deepen them. That is exactly why we're committed to delivering.