STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

Ms PRICE (Durack) (13:42): We know that our lives are worse now than they were four years ago, when Anthony Albanese became Prime Minister. That is the message that I heard time and again across regional Western Australia. Wherever I go, people tell me the same thing: life is harder, budgets are tighter and confidence in the future is fading.

The conversations I've been having, particularly with women across Durack, have been deeply concerning. Young mothers worry about what lies ahead for their children and whether they'll be able to give them the same opportunities they had growing up. As grocery bills, fuel costs, mortgages and rents continue to climb, the financial strain is becoming overwhelming.

These are the real concerns keeping women across regional communities awake at night. For single mothers, we know the burden is even greater. Many feel they are constantly bracing for the next challenge.

They just try to keep the wolves from the door. Mothers of older children worry that homeownership may be out of reach for the next generation. They want their children to have secure jobs, stable homes and the opportunity to build a family of their own.

Many are also concerned about their own financial security as they approach retirement while helping adult children plus caring for their ageing parents. And our grandmothers—well, we know that they are worried about absolutely everyone, including whether they can access and afford the care they may need in their later years. My Durack families have had to tighten their belts, so it's time that Labor tightened theirs.

Labor has been reckless with our economy, and it's time they started governing for all Australians.