Cost of living, Voice on Dutton’s agenda

FEDERAL Opposition leader Peter Dutton used a visit to Ocean Grove this week to demand Prime Minister Anthony Albanese prioritise cost-of-living pressure being felt across Australia.

The Liberal leader also repeated his opposition to the coming Voice to Parliament referendum and asked for respectful debate between both sides on the issue.

Mr Dutton and Victoria Senator Sarah Henderson visited food relief charity Feed Me Bellarine on Tuesday morning, where increased cost of living has caused a significant uptake in demand in the local community.

Mr Dutton said the government’s focus on policies around energy and a shift to renewables was taking away from issues impacting Australians like increased costs for electricity, food, petrol, mortgages and insurance.

“There’s no more important message for the Prime Minister to hear than families who are struggling, pensioners who are struggling, people who are unemployed, and there are a lot of Australians who are working at the moment – probably more hours than they ever have – but they still can’t balance their budget.

“They still can’t afford to pay the bills, and they’re the families that I want the Prime Minister to be focusing on because I think at the moment, the Prime Minister’s focus is elsewhere, and it’s not on families and businesses who are most in need.”

Meanwhile, Mr Dutton also responded to questions about intensifying debate regarding the Voice referendum.

He highlighted a clash between a ‘no’ campaign launch in Adelaide and protesters on Monday as he again urged voters to decide against the referendum at the October 14 ballot.

“It’s not going to provide the practical outcomes that we will want for people, particularly living in regional and remote areas in Indigenous communities and I would just say to people, who are on both sides acting disrespectfully toward other Australians; there’s no place for that.”