Topics: Labor’s cost of living con job 

 

E&OE   

 

MARK LEVY: 

The Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor joins me on the line this morning. Angus, good morning to you. 

 

ANGUS TAYLOR: 

G'day Mark. Good to be with you.  

 

MARK LEVY: 

Well mate, happy Monday. From today. 13.6 million Aussies will be receiving a tax cut. It's a policy Labor has been spruiking for months now. But will a couple of hundred dollars make a difference in Australian households? 

 

ANGUS TAYLOR: 

No it's not going to make the difference, Mark, and this is the problem. It is a cost of living con job. Because we've had raging inflation now, in the last two years since Labor has been in power, prices up on average by 10%. And much more than that for many things. Australians are paying more than 20% more personal income tax already. And their standard of living has dropped by nearly 8%. So it's a dire, dire situation. You take a typical family, in my electorate, who's bought a home, got a mortgage, what is a pretty difficult mortgage, they're $35,000 worse off than when Labor came to power. And there's no sign of this inflation ending. In fact, we've had four months in a row where it's gone up. It's homegrown inflation. We know that because the Reserve Bank Governor has told us that. It's the Treasurer's inflation - it's Jimflation at work here, and we're not seeing the end of it.  

 

MARK LEVY: 

We're not, and today also marks, when we talk about energy, the start of a $300 energy rebate program for Australians struggling to pay their bills. There's a story in the Telegraph today, over 127,000 households across the country have been forced onto hardship plans by their energy provider. Every household, of course, will have access to this help, but remember when Labor promised to cut power bills by $275 bucks? Now we're talking about a $300 energy rebate program.  

 

ANGUS TAYLOR: 

Well, that's exactly right. The Treasurer and the Prime Minister between them promised that $275 reduction almost 100 times, Mark. There's no sign of it at all. And so instead they're throwing around taxpayers' money to try to make up for their failures. And this is what we see with Labor, they've completely failed to deal with the underlying problem, the source of the problem which is raging inflation. So they're throwing money around to try to tell people that they're making up for it, but it won't touch the side, Mark. At the end of the day, this is a band aid on a bullet wound, dealing with the symptom, not the source of the problem. And for that reason, it simply won't [inaudible]. There is a better way, it's going back to basics, doing all the things we know you've got to do. First of all, don't waste taxpayers’ money. And we've seen the most enormous amounts of money, whether it's in their referendum or spin unit set up by the Treasurer, they're trying to tell everybody how good they've got it. But either way, you're seeing the wrong policies from this government.  

 

MARK LEVY: 

And you talk Angus about inflation. I mean, all eyes now on the Reserve Bank, looks like interest rates are gonna go up once again later in the year. Households can't afford to deal with any more mortgage mate, can they? 

 

ANGUS TAYLOR: 

Well, that's exactly right. That's exactly right. So, because we've had four inflation increases in a row, four months, where inflation has been going up, no other country, major country in the world is seeing this. We are absolutely on our own. And we are at the back of the pack in dealing with it. And the result of that is leading economists and the markets are now saying there's a real prospect of a rate increase in August. And regardless, we're in for interest rates being higher for longer. People are losing hope. Demoralised households don't see light at the end of the tunnel now and that's a very painful time for them.  

 

MARK LEVY: 

One more before you go, Angus. It's away from this, something in New South Wales. I'm sure you're aware of the infighting within the New South Wales Coalition. Liberal MPs have been called to a party room meeting tomorrow, it's expected they'll decide whether or not to split from the Nationals. If this was to happen, what would this do for the Coalition movement in Australia? 

 

ANGUS TAYLOR: 

Well, I'm a coalitionist. I mean, I've represented a regional seat all my political career, and have a strong rural background. And members of my family who are very strong members of the National Party. So I firmly believe that we are best when we are united. And we have done that very effectively at the federal level in the time I've been in the federal parliament and it will be my goal and I'm sure the goal of my colleagues to make sure that continues but we have a very united Coalition right now. And I think that's important for Australians who want to be well represented by a party that does get back to basics, that wants to fight and beat inflation, and is focused on those bread and butter issues that Australians are really dealing with right now.  

 

MARK LEVY: 

Well said. Angus Taylor, lovely to chat on this Monday and keep putting the pressure on the government because Australians are struggling and we need some relief, but this relief isn't enough from the government in Canberra. Appreciate your time as always. 

 

ANGUS TAYLOR: 

Thanks Mark. 

 

ENDS.