Two years of Labor’s failed policies and wrong priorities have left Australians worse off.
Visiting Toowoomba yesterday, Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor joined Federal Member for Groom, Garth Hamilton to meet with business and community leaders.
Mr Hamilton said that family budgets had been smashed by higher prices, higher mortgage repayments and higher taxes over the past two years.
“We’ve heard from business and community leaders from across the Toowoomba region and they provided a clear message about the pressures they face and the critical issues in our economy.
“They are struggling under the weight of layer after layer of red tape, they are feeling the crunch of rising energy prices and increasing taxes,” Mr Hamilton said.
Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor said that after two years, Anthony Albanese and Jim Chalmers have done nothing to ease the pain Australians are feeling.
“Under Labor, hardworking Australians have been hit by higher prices, higher mortgage repayments and higher taxes. Labor keeps offering band aid solutions – they need to tackle the source, not just the symptoms.
“Labor’s wasteful spending and failing policies have just made the situation worse. Australia needs an economic plan that restores our standard of living.
“The Prime Minister and Treasurer keep saying Australians have never had it better. They couldn’t be more out of touch.
“Bracket creep and commodity windfalls are delivering windfall surpluses, not structural ones. That isn’t fiscal responsibility, and it is not good budget management. Labor is taking from family budgets to bolster its own,” Mr Taylor said.
Australia is in a GDP per capita recession, with living standards having collapsed by 7.5% – thousands of dollars for the average household.
Soaring energy prices have made it difficult for families to pay the bills, while businesses are crippled by everyday costs.
Business insolvencies are at a record high, and many small business owners are paying themselves last, if at all, to keep their doors open – while Labor’s bad workplace laws and excessive red and green tape will only make things worse.
Labor has fueled the housing and rental crisis with unprecedented immigration at a time when housing approvals are at a 12 year low.
Australians deserve a government that’s focused on practical measures to tackle these problems. We need a back to basics economic agenda, not ideological crusades.
In these uncertain economic times, Anthony Albanese and Jim Chalmers will fail Australians yet again unless the Budget focuses on a back-to-basics economic agenda that:
• Restores our standard of living and tames inflation by taking pressure off the prices of essentials and delivering affordable energy for families and business.
• Restores prosperity and creates opportunity for all Australians so small businesses are rewarded for their effort, and young Australians have the chance to own a home.
• Restores Budget discipline and honesty, including re-introducing the Coalition’s fiscal guardrails, a tax-to-GDP cap and delivering a structural surplus not a windfall surplus.
ENDS.
