Simple question affecting every Australian that Labor can’t answer

It’s the biggest issue facing Aussie families this election, but today Anthony Albanese could not answer exactly what Labor would do to fix it.

Perhaps the biggest issue facing Australians this election is the cost of living.

Almost everybody has seen the prices of everyday goods shooting up, and Labor is keen to pin the blame on the Coalition.

On the campaign trail this week they have unveiled posters showing just how much things like beef and washing up liquid have risen in price over the past year.

After last week’s higher-than expected inflation figures, Anthony Albanese’s team has sought to frame this as “Scott Morrison’s cost-of-living crisis”.

This despite inflation soaring around the world — with macro factors like the war in Ukraine and local issues like flooding contributing to the pain Australians are feeling at the till.

Today in Perth — where inflation is the highest out of any major city in the nation — Mr Albanese faced a grilling over his claims that his government would bring the cost of living down.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese tours an electric bus depot.

He appeared at a depot to announce funding for electric buses, alongside Bill Shorten who announced a royal commission into the Robodebt scandal.

They were also keen to focus on the cost of living — describing Perth as the “epicentre of the crisis”.

However, when he was asked to explain how much less Aussies would be paying for food under groceries — the press pack erupted suggesting he refused to answer the question.

Instead of conceding there were factors that they couldn’t control in contributing to rising costs, Labor claimed they would put more money in the pockets of everyday Australians. And, of course, they attacked the Prime Minister.

“People are doing it really, really tough. There is a cost-of-living crisis in this country,” Mr Albanese.

“And we have a government that is so complacent, that is ignoring the rising costs of childcare, the rising costs of food and groceries, the rising costs of living.

“This is a government that is so out of touch. They’re running a campaign which implies that life is easy under this government that says it all.”

He swiftly tried to change the topic but reporters demanded he answer the question of how much Labor would bring down the prices of everyday goods.

Labor has blamed Scott Morrison for the cost-of-living crisis.

One reporter begged them to answer the question, saying “please don’t say childcare”.

After sustained pressure Mr Albanese stepped aside to pass the question off to the shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers who mentioned — you guessed it — childcare.

However, his answer appeared to slightly concede that the government could only do so much — despite Labor’s attack lines directly blaming Scott Morrison for increased prices in supermarkets.

“You need to take responsibility for making a meaningful difference where you can,” he said.

“We’ve got policies about getting power bills down. We’ve got policies for cheaper, more accessible health care, which is a big part of the story. We’ve got policies to make childcare cheap, to get real wages moving again.

“When families sit around the kitchen table, and work out how they’re going to deal with Scott Morrison’s cost-of-living crisis, all of those things matter. All of those things matter. Right?

“And if you speak to as many families as we do, in the course of our work, you would know and we know that families don’t consider their budget, just in little parts. They consider it in its totality.

“And our Labor Party is going to the election with a substantial policy to ease the cost of living on people who are doing it tough.”

Labor will officially launch its campaign tomorrow in Perth, where senior figures of the party will gather at Optus Stadium.