Budget 2023: Heartbreaking message reveals reality faced by many Gold Coast families

A plaintive message from a Gold Coast mother has revealed the brutal reality faced by many families. Here’s what it said.

In handing down his second Budget last night, Treasurer Jim Chalmers faced an extremely tough challenge.

Inflation is rampant, at heights not seen since the late eighties. Cost of living pressures are crushing many households. RBA rate
hikes – the cruellest of medicines – are adding to the trauma. Luckily for Mr Chalmers, he faces this challenge once a year.

For many families on the Gold Coast, trying to manage their own budgets, it’s a daily struggle.

Many families are struggling to make ends meet.

An anonymous post on social media last Saturday from someone living in this city spelled out, in heartbreaking detail, the strain so many feel.

“We have -$585 in our account and just ran out of cash today,” it read.

“We have barely anything to put in our kids lunch boxes for Monday and barely any fuel – no idea if we will get the kids to school and hubby to work Monday … and back again.

“Is there anywhere we can go for help – I know tomorrow is Sunday – for a bag of shopping or something.

“Please note, I’m not looking for a handout or any freebies from anyone on here. I have things posted on marketplace but no interest. Hubby sold his Xbox the other day so we could pay our rent.

“I’m posting anon as a while back I posted and some people had a good gossip about me and it was so hurtful and embarrassing.

“I know a lot of people are struggling right now and it’s sh*t all round. It sucks big time. Safe to say, I just want to cry.”

Breakfasts being served by Foodbank Queensland to students at Ipswich Central State School.

Speak to any charity worker on the Gold Coast who deals with people in need and you’ll find that this is a story repeated many times.

This column has heard, repeatedly, that charities running food banks, who in the past would mostly have dealt mostly with people experiencing homelessness and unemployment, were now seeing many of what can only be termed the “working poor”.

People with jobs, but who, after paying rent and bills, find themselves struggling to provide for themselves and their children.

Teachers see it too, with more children than ever in this city arriving without enough food to see through the day.

“As cost of living continues to rise, families are being forced to choose between keeping a roof over their heads and putting food on the table,” said Sara Harrup, CEO of Foodbank Queensland, whose breakfast program supports seven schools on the Gold Coast.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

It’s affecting more people than you might think. Pride causes many to hide or downplay their struggles.

But anonymous surveys show the problem is widespread. One such survey reported yesterday from comparison site Finder showed that 43 per cent of people listed their grocery bill as a “stressful expense”. The same number – 43 per cent – listed their rent/mortgage as a major stressor.

That’s 43 per cent of all Australians who are struggling to make ends meet.

This is the grim context in which Jim Chalmers framed his Budget yesterday.

He cannot wave away all these problems. But for the sake of the many struggling families on the Gold Coast, we can only hope the measures he has taken go some way to easing their pain.

DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE

Dr Dinesh Palipana. Picture: David Kelly.

One man who knows a lot about life’s struggles – and overcoming them – is Dr Dinesh Palipana.

Rumour has it that Dr Palipana is considering nominating for preselection to replace Stuart Robert in the Federal seat of Fadden.

In the course of his work, this columnist is privileged to meet many wonderful people in this great city of ours.

However it’s hard to think of anyone who impresses as strongly as Dr Palipana.

It’s no reflection on the other potential candidates to say that if he seeks the nomination, the LNP should count themselves very lucky and jump at the chance.

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