People in the Riverina and Central West are facing a tough Christmas this year thanks to Labor’s cost-of-living crisis.
Nationals Member for Riverina, Michael McCormack, said more than 2,000 people descended on Wagga Beach car park on Wednesday this week to collect food and other essentials from Foodbank’s pop-up site.
In 90 minutes, eight tonnes of food were handed out.
“It’s heartening to see the generosity of the volunteers and donors who make these initiatives possible, but it’s also distressing to see just how many Aussies are having to rely on charities such as Foodbank because the government isn’t doing enough to end this cost-of-living crisis,” Mr McCormack said.
“It’s clear people right across Australia are struggling; and alarm bells should be ringing in Canberra alerting the Albanese Labor Government to this absolute crisis Aussies are facing.
“Unfortunately, because this crisis has been brought about in no small part by Labor’s reckless indifference to the wellbeing of ordinary Aussies, they don’t want to do anything about it.”
Mr McCormack said before the last election, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised Australians would be better off under a Labor Government.
Instead, the cost of almost everything has gone up and Australian households are going backwards because Mr Albanese has been focused on projects such as his $450 million Voice referendum.
“I’m sad to say that this year there will be a distinct lack of cheer this Christmas as Australians come to realise what a Labor Government means for them,” Mr McCormack said.
“It’s going to cost more to host the Christmas lunch, it’s going to cost more to turn on the Christmas lights, and it’s going to cost more to visit family and friends.
“There will be fewer gifts around the tree as higher mortgage repayments, higher energy prices, and higher grocery prices eat away at the disposable income for families in the Riverina and Central West.”
Mr McCormack said in the lead-up to the last election, Anthony Albanese promised 97 times that he would bring electricity prices down by $275.
“Since Labor has come into power last year, I have grilled Labor in no less than 19 speeches on its failure to deliver promised power price cuts,” Mr McCormack said.
“All we get back from Labor is excuses and blame shifting.
“It’s time Anthony Albanese starts to take his job seriously and starts fulfilling his promises.”
