Transcript - NewsDay with Kieran Gilbert on Sky News - 6 September 2024

MELISSA MCINTOSH MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR ENERGY AFFORABILITY
SHADOW MINISTER FOR WESTERN SYDNEY
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR LINDSAY

Video: ‘More than mortgage stress’: Melissa McIntosh blasts government for not ‘listening’ | Sky News Australia

Friday, 6 September 2024

Subjects: RBA; interest rates; mortgages; National Cabinet; domestic and family violence.  

Live on NewsDay with Kieran Gilbert on Sky News

Kieran Gilbert
Let's return now to local politics. Joining me live is the Shadow Minister for Energy Affordability, Melissa McIntosh. Thanks for your time. We've seen the stoush with the RBA continue today. The former treasurer, Wayne Swan, says that the RBA is hammering households and families. Shouldn't the central bank be open to criticism if those in the current parliament and those before it have their critique, why shouldn't they deliver it?

Melissa McIntosh
Well, thanks, Kieran, for having me on. It's hardly surprising the Treasurer's former boss is out batting for him when he's had such a disastrous week up against the RBA. What the RBA governor is doing is using the lever, the one lever that she has, and she spoke about people, real people, on the streets of Australia, telling her how much they are struggling. And the stories that they are telling her are the very stories that they are telling people like me, they're local politicians. What the government isn't doing is listening to them. You see, right now people are more than under mortgage stress. 48.1% of family median incomes going to mortgages. You're under mortgage stress when you're at 30%. The message couldn't be any louder. I just don't think the government's listening right now. They're too busy having a fight with the RBA.

Kieran Gilbert
There is still a scenario where they can navigate this, and you see some rate cuts before the next election. And that psychologically would be very important for many of your constituents, and people right around the country, Melissa McIntosh.

Melissa McIntosh
Yeah, I think people right around the country, and here in western Sydney where people are doing really tough, want to see policy measures that help them. They are paying electricity prices that are through the roof. And the RBA governor says that inflation, some of the core parts of inflation, are to do with electricity. You know, I've spoken to food banks who are paying people's energy bills for them. We're looking at construction prices which are also through the roof. I visited Brickworks yesterday in western Sydney with the Shadow Treasurer and the Opposition Leader, and there are hundreds and hundreds, even thousands of bricks lined up across this manufacturer, this great Aussie manufacturer, just not being put to use because the construction prices on new homes are just too high. People out here need to be able to afford to buy their own home. They need to be able to afford their rents. And right now, as I said, those statistics around being more than in mortgage stress is really alarming.

Kieran Gilbert
There's no doubt a lot of people doing it tough with where rates are at. Let's look at the other commitment today by National Cabinet. $4.7 billion initiative to try and do more in combating the scourge of family and domestic violence. Do you welcome that?

Melissa McIntosh
Kieran, I live in a community where domestic violence rates were up over 15% on this very time last year. That's 170 new cases in a year. Something has to be done. So, of course, we welcome the commitment by the government, but with caveat. The rollout, we believe, is too slow. We are waiting another year for that money to come through when we are in dire straits. I have a local women's health centre. That funding was due to end on the 30th of June. We had to fight really hard with the government, me doing speeches in parliament, us taking it to the media, and at the 11th hour their funding was returned just when their caseworker was about to have to leave. And this is a critical domestic violence organisation in Penrith. They shouldn't have to wait till the 11th hour to secure their funding. So, the Prime Minister is saying one thing. What is playing out on the ground is very, very different. So, we hope this commitment, when we're still waiting for frontline workers, is true.

Kieran Gilbert
Melissa McIntosh, thank you for your time, as always, joining us from Penrith today. 

ENDS

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