Editor’s view: Pollies must step up and fix costs of living crisis

For politicians earning in excess of $200,000 a year, it would be difficult to truly understand the cost of living crisis engulfing everyday Queenslanders.

For politicians earning in excess of $200,000 a year, it would be difficult to truly understand the cost of living crisis engulfing everyday Queenslanders.

And it would be impossible to relate to families earning less than half the salary enjoyed by even our most lowly paid pollies, who are struggling to cover the cost of the bare essentials.

That’s why this latest affordability report written by the Queensland Council of Social Service and published exclusively today in The Courier-Mail is so important.

It lays bare for the first time the actual challenges that the majority of Queensland families are living with every day.

Queensland families are struggling with cost of living pressures.

Things like food going up between 7 and 10 per cent.

Or the fact their car costs 14 per cent more to fill with petrol than it did a year ago, just so they can get to work and the kids to school.

Costs related to health and education going up by more than 5 per cent.

And of course gas and electricity – necessary to keep the lights on and to have a hot meal and a hot shower at the end of the day – which has spiked by almost 13 per cent.

Governments – at all levels – have been talking endlessly about the cost of living going up.

But the time for talk is over.

It is time for real action.

When Premier Steven Miles was sworn in at the end of last year, his first act was to freeze the cost of car registrations.

Premier Steven Miles at Ergon Energy at Garbutt, Townsville. Picture: Evan Morgan

To be clear, that was a saving of $20 a year and doesn’t come close to a real solution for struggling families.

In the state budget in June, Treasurer Cameron Dick announced a $550 electricity rebate for all households. It was a start.

At the same time however, he trumpeted a record surplus and debt reduction – hardly something struggling Queenslanders could relate to, particularly as today’s report reveals with many families spending more than they are earning by up to $200.

The electricity rebate was a positive step forward but given prices have continued to rise in the months since it was announced, it is barely touching the sides for families and certainly more substantial cost of living relief needs to be considered.

Premier Miles has done a good job taking on the supermarkets, setting up a parliamentary inquiry after a meeting with the bosses of Coles, Woolworths and Aldi, putting them on notice regarding alleged price gouging and soaring grocery prices, which according to the QCOSS report, is the second largest expense for many households.

But so much more needs to be done and given we are in an election year there is no better time than now.

So today, The Courier-Mail challenges the Premier and Opposition Leader David Crisafulli to front up to a one-on-one conversation that we will host and where they will hear directly from our readers about their struggle.

It is not about more talk. But rather seeking meaningful policy and tangible measures that will help lower the cost of living in this state and put more money in the pockets of Queenslanders doing it tough.

The election might be nine months away but Queenslanders deserve to know now, from both side of politics, what their plans are.

That is the only way voters can be assured that our top politicians, despite their huge salaries, really understand the struggle facing everyday Queenslanders.