Private Members' Statement
Mr ANOULACK CHANTHIVONG (Macquarie Fields) (19:04): The humble working-class economist returns for the May sittings. Tonight's focus is on the rising cost of living and its impact on working people.
We know the then Treasurer's and now Premier's fondness for Bon Jovi music. He even referenced Tommy and Gina in last year's Budget Speech.
Those of us who are familiar with Bon Jovi classics would know that "Tommy used to work on the docks" and "Gina works the diner all day". They are solid hardworking folk, much like those in my electorate. But life for those like Tommy and Gina is harder than ever.
The cost-of-living crisis is biting very hard. Petrol prices, power and the cost of food and housing are all up. Under this Liberal Government residents have had to endure increased tolls, fines and taxes and record inflation—all up—except for wages, of course. Wages growth has flatlined year on year.
Only under the Liberal Government do we hear about going forward by having lower wages and increasing costs. Living standards are going backwards, and fast.
We can and must do better.
Working people like Tommy and Gina know the cost of picking up the ever-increasing bills with less money to spare.
Working people like Tommy and Gina can no longer rely on "Livin' on a prayer" to see them through the tough times.
They need a Government that is committed to real action and ending the attack on their household budgets.
People like Tommy and Gina are rising up saying, "It's my life." The Premier might recognise these Bon Jovi lyrics too:
And I ain't gonna be just a face in the crowd
You're gonna hear my voice when I shout it out loud.
Because working people are fed up. Our nurses, teachers and frontline workers are taking to the streets, demanding more than the Government's insincere thanks, platitudes and political spin.
Ms Felicity Wilson: Point of order—
Mr ANOULACK CHANTHIVONG: There are no points of order during private members' statements.
Ms Felicity Wilson: Yes, there is.
TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Ms Sonia Hornery): Members will resume their seats while I confer with the Clerk.
Mr ANOULACK CHANTHIVONG: Can we stop the clock?
TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Ms Sonia Hornery): Yes. Stop the clock. There are no points of order during private members' statements.
Ms Felicity Wilson: Madam Speaker, if I may, there is the ability to take points of order during private members' statements. The issue being previous Speaker's rulings about ensuring that private members' statements are related to people's communities. Members are able to take a point of order. I think what we are hearing about is John Bon Jovi and the Premier's interest, rather than the electorate of the member for Macquarie Fields.
TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Ms Sonia Hornery): The member for Macquarie Fields will continue.
Mr ANOULACK CHANTHIVONG: I reject that interjection.
TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Ms Sonia Hornery): The member will resume his seat. I am aware that it has become a longstanding custom that at some point an issue or matter pertaining to a member's electorate is mentioned during a private members' statement. I am sure that the member for Macquarie Fields will do that. The member can lead up to it in the same way that questions are answered in question time.
Mr ANOULACK CHANTHIVONG: The rising cost of living affects every electorate and every member in every community. The idea that it does not is an absolute furphy.
We know that our nurses, our teachers and our frontline workers are taking to the streets, demanding more than the Government's insincere thanks, platitudes and political spin.
People in my electorate, and in every electorate, have never had it tougher. The pandemic saw record job losses that have not been seen since the depression, which came on the heels of our country's worst bushfires. Just as we were turning a corner out of the pandemic, the New South Wales economy was hit by devastating floods. We have had blow after blow.
Families are struggling to make ends meet and people are having to make difficult choices—medicine or food, power bills or new shoes for the kids. At the same time, taxes in this State have gone up by 10 per cent in one year.
That makes New South Wales the highest taxing State of any jurisdiction in the entire country. Under this Liberal Government, fees and charges are increasing by 4 per cent each year.
The Premier continues to deliberately jack up living costs, while keeping wages low. As if it could not get any worse, the New South Wales Liberal—
Ms Felicity Wilson: Point of order—
TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Ms Sonia Hornery): I remind the member for North Shore that no points of order—
Ms Felicity Wilson: I am sorry, points of order—
TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Ms Sonia Hornery): I have conferred with the Clerk. I ask the member to resume her seat. The member for Macquarie Fields has referred to his electorate.
Ms Felicity Wilson: I am sorry, but the member did not refer to his electorate.
TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Ms Sonia Hornery): I will ask the member for Macquarie Fields to continue to refer to his electorate. The member has the call.
Mr ANOULACK CHANTHIVONG: The Premier continues to deliberately jack up living costs while keeping wages low for many people in my electorate and every electorate across the State.
As if it could not get any worse, the Government now wants to introduce a never-ending annual land tax on family homes. That will result in higher property prices in my electorate and every other electorate, higher rent and indeed lower savings.
Increased taxes and unstoppable rising living costs with real wages going backwards is economic management Liberal Party style.
If Tommy and Gina are listening to the Premier wax lyrical, they are not impressed.
What is more, the people in my electorate and across New South Wales are not impressed either.
Year after year, my community has been left begging for funding for much-needed infrastructure projects. If not for the political rorts and pork-barrelling, those infrastructure projects would have been funded years ago.
Given the interjections, I have lost a minute. With the budget around the corner, this is the time for things to be made right. [Time expired.]
