STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

Mr TED O'BRIEN (Fairfax) (13:56): This week alone, the IMF downgraded Australia's economic growth forecast, COSBOA raised the alarm about the financial stress of small businesses due to energy costs and interest rates, Creditor Watch warned insolvencies—already at a record high—are set to rise further, the NAB reported confidence was 22 points lower than it was this time last year, and ANZ reported families feeling financially worse off than they were this time last year.

There's something here that the Labor frontbench don't get, but that every member of the coalition does get. There's something here that I believe a lot of Labor backbenchers also get, and that is that the Australian economy is sick and that the Albanese government's policies will not fix it. You don't fix an economy by increasing taxes.

You don't fix an economy by increasing power bills. You don't fix an economy by giving the ATO, but not small business, a free pass. You don't fix an economy by penalising seniors who take out private health insurance.

You don't fix an economy by calling families who use trusts 'tax dodgers'. There is one thing that can fix an economy and that is a coalition government.