Experts back Labor to fix cost of living, despite three years in government
Quality of life has decreased and inflation has risen under the Albanese government, so why have two cost of living experts backed Labor to fix our woes? HAVE YOUR SAY.
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To many, Saturday’s federal election result will be a referendum on who the Australian public believe is better placed to handle the current cost of living crisis.
Inflation has soared, house prices have increased, and people have been feeling the pinch over the past three years under the Albanese government.
According to Michael Kenneady, manager of the Geelong-based Lazurus Community Support Centre, which operates on the front lines of the cost of living crisis, housing and food prices are creating a whole new demographic of locals requiring their services.
“It’s been crazy,” Mr Kenneady said.
“A lot of people are now coming in with financial hardship, it’s a big issue now.
“Eight months ago we had roughly 30 to 40 people coming through our doors every day, now we’re getting closer to 60.”
But despite conditions worsening under an Albanese government, a pair of Deakin experts in housing and food policy believe Labor is offering more to relieve these pressures.
Professor Kathryn Backholer is the co-director of the global centre for preventive health and nutrition, as well as a senior research fellow at Deakin.
Prof Backholer said Labor’s commitment to some of the recommendations in the ACCC’s 2024-25 supermarkets inquiry makes them the most likely of the major parties to bring the price of food down.
“Labor has stated commitment to ACCC inquiry, if it was implemented in full, that would be a much better position,” Prof Backholer said.
“There is bipartisan support that the supermarket escort holds too much power and that something needs to be done about that.
“That is bipartisan, but I think Labor has taken that extra step to explicitly state that they are committed to the recommendations that will result in lowered food prices.”
The ACCC’s recommendations include measures to hold the big supermarkets’ price setting practices accountable and prevent price gouging.
Prof Backholer said minor parties and a minority government would be good for keeping the major parties in check, and in turn keeping prices down.
“The Greens have backed the ACCC, but I guess they can because they won’t be held as accountable,” she said.
“But they (along with independents) will have, hopefully, some influence on the next government.”
Department of finance Associate Professor Adrian Lee said despite both major parties lacking ideal policy, Labor should also be the major party choice for first home buyers.
“I think Labor has given more help to first home buyers,” Mr Lee said.
“The help to buy policy and mortgage insurance on low home loans seem to be the best way in, the hardest part is to get the deposit to get your foot in the door, literally.
“Liberal have the using super, and the other one is a mortgage tax break, but you still need a deposit for that.
“So the Labor one is much quicker, in that sense, for a first home buyer.”
Mr Lee said both parties were using housing policy as a way to win votes, rather than to make it easier for Australians.
“They’re devising these schemes to try to win an election, to me that’s very cynical,” he said.
“It feels that these are just little pieces to try to get votes, rather than big, overarching policy.”
But does Lazarus manager Mr Kenneady believe any of these promises will assist at the local coalface?
“Not really,” Mr Kenneady said.
“I’ll go to both sides of the aisle and say, ‘look, will you help us?’ But it’s probably more talk than anything, because nothing’s changed.
“People that are homeless, in desperation, socially isolated, mentally ill, domestic violence victims, experiencing drug and alcohol addictions, a lot of them don’t vote, so why would the government help them?”
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Originally published as Experts back Labor to fix cost of living, despite three years in government
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