PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS
Ms LANDRY (Capricornia—Chief Nationals Whip) (18:45): I rise to support the motion moved by the member for McPherson and to highlight the continuing financial hardship experienced by Australian households under the Albanese Labor government. Across Capricornia, families are working harder, paying more and increasingly wondering why, after years of promises from this government, it is becoming harder to get ahead.
Food on the table, a roof over their heads and fuel in the car are necessities Australians cannot go without—particularly in regional Queensland, where travelling considerable distances for work, education and healthcare is a fact of life. Economists say households have little choice but to keep buying these essentials even when prices rise, because families cannot simply stop eating, paying their mortgage or putting fuel in the car.
The latest figures demonstrate the extent of the pressure, with annual inflation climbing to four per cent in August, up from 3.5 per cent in July. Housing costs have risen 5.7 per cent, food prices three per cent, health costs 3.9 per cent and education costs 4.7 per cent over the year to August. Electricity prices alone have increased 13.2 per cent over the same period, placing further pressure on household budgets.
Behind these figures are everyday Australians across Capricornia, from families in Rockhampton struggling with rising grocery prices to pensioners in Yeppoon trying to make their fixed income stretch further and young families in Sarina facing mounting pressure from mortgage repayments, child care and electricity costs. October is Seniors Month in Queensland, and only last week I attended a seniors meeting at CARV in Yeppoon alongside my state colleague, the member for Keppel, Nigel Hutton.
What we heard firsthand was deeply concerning, with older Australians desperate for respite from relentless cost-of-living pressures that continue to erode their financial security. These are people who have worked hard, raised families, paid taxes and contributed to our communities for decades, yet rising living costs are placing increasing pressure on their ability to afford everyday essentials.
Unlike working Australians, pensioners generally have limited opportunities to supplement their incomes, leaving them particularly vulnerable to rising prices. This pressure is being compounded by the Albanese government cutting the private health insurance rebate while approving an average premium increase of 4.41 per cent from April, up from the 3.73 per cent in 2025.
The impact is clear. Over the year to June, living costs rose 4.7 per cent for age pensioner households, compared with 3.7 per cent for employee households. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister and Treasurer continue boasting about the savings they claim to be delivering for Australians while overlooking a fundamental economic reality: savings account for nothing when swallowed up by an out-of-control government spending elsewhere.
This is the problem with the current government celebrating modest savings while failing to rein in spending, adding to inflationary pressures, eroding household purchasing power and contributing to the decline in Australian living standards. For Australians who were around in the '90s, these circumstances may feel painfully reminiscent of former Labor prime minister Paul Keating's infamous declaration that Australia was experiencing the recession we 'had to have'.
The pensioners I speak to across Central Queensland have no appetite for another economic lesson delivered at the expense of their household budgets. Mortgage holders are also feeling the strain, with four interest rate rises in 2026 and a total of 16 interest rate rises under the Albanese government. In regional communities, fuel is another unavoidable expense.
Farmers rely on diesel, transport operators move the goods our communities depend on, and families travel significant distances for work, school and medical appointments. This is why the coalition has proposed its fuel price shield, which would automatically halve fuel excise when the two-week average price of Brent crude exceeds $100 a barrel, providing approximately 27 cents a litre in potential relief, or around $15 on a typical tank.
The proposal would also temporarily reduce the heavy vehicle road user charge to zero, recognising the flow-on impact of freight costs on groceries and other household essentials. While governments cannot control global oil prices or international instability, they can establish practical mechanisms to cushion Australians against sudden price shocks. The people of Capricornia are resilient and hardworking.
They are not asking government to solve every problem, but they are entitled to expect responsible economic management that allows them to get ahead rather than watching every saving disappear into another bill. Our seniors deserve to enjoy retirement with dignity, while younger families deserve the opportunity to build financial security for the future.