Liberal frontbencher Melissa McIntosh unleashed at the Albanese government after paying $12.40 for just two litres of milk and a loaf of bread,
asserted
McIntosh → unleash → bread
Speaking to Patricia Karvelas on ABC's Afternoon Briefing on Wednesday, McIntosh said everyday Australians were struggling to keep up with soaring living costs, warning that Labor's spending policies were helping drive inflation.
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policies → speak → inflation
'I came by the shops and a two-litre bottle of milk and a loaf of white bread cost $12.40, and that barely feeds a couple of kids for a couple of hours,' she said, holding up the items during the interview.
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she → come → interview
'This is what people are paying for milk and bread, let alone what they're paying for their mortgages and their rents to keep a roof over their families' heads.
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they → pay → heads
McIntosh blamed the Albanese Government for the country's economic difficulties, accusing Labor of refusing to rein in spending despite persistent inflation.
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McIntosh → blame → inflation
'We are in this position because of this government, high inflation, and they just won't back down on their homegrown expenditure,' she said.
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she → back → expenditure
She also took aim at Treasurer Jim Chalmers, accusing him of deflecting responsibility for inflation by pointing to international events.
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She → take → events
'I couldn't believe Jim Chalmers today,' McIntosh said.
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McIntosh → believe → Chalmers
Melissa McIntosh (pictured) said Jim Chalmers was 'lying' about why inflation was rising
She revealed the hefty price for the common staple during an interview with ABC star Patricia Karvelas
'
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She → picture → Karvelas
If it was a drinking game and Australians had a drink every time he tried to blame the war in the Middle East, the pubs would have run dry.
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pubs → have → East
'He is lying when he is saying this is all about the war in the Middle East.
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this → lie → East
McIntosh argued government spending had become a key driver of inflationary pressures, highlighting the size of the public sector's contribution to the economy and the nation's debt burden.
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spending → argue → economy
'When you've got nearly 28 per cent of GDP coming from government spending, of course inflation is going to be high,' she said.
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she → get → course
'We've got $1 trillion of debt and when you've got $1 trillion of debt, you're paying off that debt.
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you → get → debt
It's like having a bad credit card.
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It → have → card
$33 billion a year is just paying off that debt.
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billion → pay → debt
Imagine the infrastructure that could be built.
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that → imagine → infrastructure
'
Pressed on whether the Coalition would need to find savings, including rising costs tied to indexed payments, through cuts to social services, McIntosh hit back.
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McIntosh → press → services
'We're not looking to cut support,' she said.
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she → look → support
Jim Chalmers (pictured) rejected claims government spending was a main driver of inflation
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spending → picture → inflation
I'm in Penrith in western Sydney where people are doing it really tough right now and I'm hearing more and more people are going onto the social welfare system, not because they want to, but because they need to.
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they → do → system
Instead, she said governments should focus on making sure taxpayer money delivered real results rather than just increasing spending.
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money → say → spending
'For too long, success has been judged on the amount of money that is being thrown at programs,' McIntosh said.
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McIntosh → judge → programs
'We need to ensure that the money is having a positive impact on people's lives.
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money → need → lives
'I don't want to see the line-ups at the food banks I'm seeing now where the working homeless are making a decision between having a roof over their heads, paying the bills for having that roof over their heads, or feeding their families,' she said.
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she → want → families
The government has pushed back on claims its spending is driving inflation, with Chalmers arguing global factors, including conflict in the Middle East, remain a key source of price pressures through higher oil costs.
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factors → push → costs
'Public demand growth has slowed considerably,' Chalmers said on Thursday.
'
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Chalmers → slow → Thursday
In fact, it came in even lower in the budget numbers we released on Monday than what we were anticipating when we released the budget in May.'
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we → come → May
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