As everyday Australians struggle to make ends meet, it’s clear that our government must take decisive action to address the escalating cost of living crisis that is squeezing households across the nation.
From Sydney to Perth, families are making impossible choices between paying rent, buying groceries, or covering essential services.
Housing costs have skyrocketed, with rental prices increasing significantly in many cities while wages have failed to keep pace.
The weekly grocery shop that once cost $150 now stretches to $200 or more, forcing many to choose between nutritious food and other necessities.
Energy bills continue to climb despite promises of relief, and the cost of childcare remains prohibitive for many working families.
Young Australians face the daunting reality that home ownership may be forever out of reach, while retirees on fixed incomes watch their purchasing power erode month by month.
The government’s current measures, while welcome, are insufficient to address the scale of this crisis.
We need comprehensive reform that includes: immediate rent relief measures and increased social housing construction; a genuine review of energy market regulation to ensure fair pricing and increased investment in renewable energy infrastructure; substantial childcare subsidies to help working families manage expenses and boost workforce participation; and tax reform addressing negative gearing and capital gains concessions that currently inflate property prices.
This isn’t about political ideology; it’s about ensuring that hard-working Australians can afford the basic necessities of life in one of the world’s wealthiest nations.
The longer we delay meaningful action, the deeper this crisis becomes and the more difficult it will be to resolve.
Our elected representatives must remember that their primary duty is to serve the people who put them in office.
The cost of living crisis isn’t a future problem – it’s happening now, and it demands immediate, substantial action.
The Australian people deserve better than empty promises and incremental measures.
We need bold leadership and comprehensive solutions that address the root causes of this crisis, not just its symptoms.
Email, Aug 1
Mitchell Gordon, Gosford
Well said, mate! None of this should be partisan by any means; I’ll never stop wondering why “everyone gets a fair go” has become controversial
The only things I’d add to any of this:
– Reform is needed for the entire education sector, from preschool all the way to tertiary. I’d support a move towards universal public preschool (much like what already exists for K-12), but this needs to be coupled with incentives for more teachers to get qualifications and join the industry. Not to mention, *lots* of extra funding…
– To anyone wondering where we’d get the money for all of this, remember how many of our corporations pay business taxes of under 1% (when minimum personal income tax is 16%), and remember how much money we’re sending to the USA for the AUKUS submarines ($336,000,000,000 or thereabouts). Absolute scams, the lot of it