Courier Mail – Coalition offers hope while Labor gives up

In his first Budget speech, Labor’s Treasurer, Jim Chalmers, committed that he would deliver “cheaper and cleaner energy”. Every year since, in the Budget speech, Jim has promised lower energy prices. That was until this year. This week, the Treasurer made no mention of energy prices and he dropped his promise of “cheaper energy”. The government has surrendered on the fight to lower the cost of living. Labor has given up on trying to raise living standards, and has given up on Australia. Labor says that this Budget delivers intergenerational equity. But Labor’s policies deny young Australians the same tax advantages that older Australians have used. And Labor’s own Budget papers show that fewer homes will be built thanks to its tax increases. We will never give up on the promise of Australia. In our Budget replies, Angus Taylor d l dl and I outlined plans to restore our living standards. We will make Australia richer by lowering taxes, scrapping net zero, controlling our borders and investing in our nation. We will fight to defeat all of the taxes that Labor has announced in this Budget and repeal them if elected. We will lower energy prices and bring back manufacturing jobs by scrapping net zero. Labor’s net zero plans have not worked and are now costing us another $18bn, and $80bn in total, and all we are getting is higher energy prices and fewer manufacturing jobs. Net zero is dead. We need to dump net zero and instead run our energy system to deliver the lowest possible power prices. We need to use our coal-fired stations to deliver reliable and affordable energy. That will lower power bills and save manufacturing. We need to invest in our nation and build new cities to take the pressure off housing, roads and hospitals in our capitals. The Liberals and Nationals will establish a Regional Australia Future Generations Fund, which will invest in the infrastructure that will grow our country. This will invest the tax revenues from commodity booms so windfalls are not wasted. Labor has scrapped the Inland Rail from Melbourne to Brisbane, which would have taken trucks off our roads and lowered the cost of goods for all Australians. We will restore that investment and others like it, which will help create opportunities for young people to own their own home in a country town. A Liberal and Nationals government will deliver a richer Australia by doing more for Australia. We will restore trust, restore hope and restore the confidence that Australia’s best days are ahead.