Sam Hibbins to ask the Treasurer —
(317) My adjournment matter is for the Treasurer, and the action I seek is for the Treasurer to take bold action to help people who are struggling with the skyrocketing cost of living. It is clear from the many responses to our cost-of-living survey that so many people are struggling to pay the bills, struggling to pay the rent, cannot afford food, cannot afford to access health care like mental health support or to see a dentist, and it is clear that this is affecting people in profound ways, negatively impacting people’s mental health. The constant worry, stress and anxiety about being able to afford food and pay the rent is significantly reducing people’s quality of life. People cannot afford to visit their family, even when they are sick. They cannot afford to spend time with their friends or even have a social life. It means that people are experiencing severe hardship, particularly those on income support. Putting off accessing health care because they cannot afford it, choosing between paying their rent and affording food, going without food, going without heating in their home – these are examples of what people have told us. Caitlin from Bayswater said:
I am constantly going between Coles, Woolies and Aldi to find the cheapest food items and even then I can only really afford two meals a day.
Tamara from Mildura said:
The rising cost of living has made it hard to eat properly. I have got three children and it is difficult to give them a proper diet because healthy food is so expensive. I have come off almost all my mental health medications because they simply cost too much.
Ian from St Kilda said:
I do not purchase food or the quality of food I used to. As a result, I am not eating as well as I used to. I have just been diagnosed with diabetes and the diet I now need to follow is expensive.
Alexandra from Armstrong Creek said:
The stress of not knowing if I will be able to feed my kids at the end of the pay cycle means I end up neglecting all my personal needs.
As a society we just should not be in a situation where so many people cannot afford to pay for food, the bills, the health care or rent, and it is happening at a time when profiteering corporations like the supermarkets and the big banks are posting record profits off the back of the skyrocketing cost of living. Governments have the power to step in and stop these profiteering corporations from ripping people off. People have told us loudly and clearly that they want to see the wealthy and profiteering corporations pay their fair share of tax to help fund cost-of-living relief and create the society that we really want to live in, and it is clear they want to see direct government action to stop these corporations putting up energy prices, to stop them putting up rent and to stop them putting up the cost of food. I urge the government to take bold action.
Response from the Treasurer
The 2023-24 Budget expands on the Government’s existing commitments by providing further support to Victorians to ease cost of living pressures.
The 2023-24 Budget addresses cost of living pressures by:
- Providing another round of the $250 Power Saving Bonus, allowing households to receive direct support for their bills whilst also searching for the cheapest electricity deal.
- Capping regional public transport fares in line with metropolitan Melbourne fares, reducing the cost of regional travel.
- Providing Free Kinder to help families with the costs of early childhood education.
- Making it easier for returning students to access subsidised training courses, including Free TAFE, through amending the eligibility criteria.
- Continuing to provide Get Active Kids vouchers to help eligible families get their kids involved in organised sport and recreation activities.
Further measures introduced in the 2023-24 Budget include free vehicle registration for apprentices, the introduction of the Victorian Veterans Card, interest-free solar battery loans and expanded free period product access.
