Mr VAN MANEN (Forde—Chief Opposition Whip) (13:48): We're coming to the tail end of the 47th parliament, and what a week of chaos we have seen. The government has failed to get any runs on the board this year, so what do they do? They try to cram as much into the tail end of the sitting period as they can. The Australian public will look back on 2024 and ask: Are my groceries cheaper? Is my electricity cheaper? Is my housing cheaper? The answer to all of these questions is a resounding no. Michael Gurney from Cedar Creek, in my electorate, reached out to me through the week. Michael's household electricity bill has skyrocketed. He wants explanations as to why. How does this government spin its way out of these ever-increasing costs for everybody right across the country? Iconic Aussie business, Seeley International, which has an office in my electorate, told a Senate select committee inquiry into Labor's cost-of-living crisis that their electricity prices have increased by almost 60 per cent this year. Managing director, Jon Seeley, said, 'Government energy policy has driven huge price increases for consumers and businesses like ours.' Australians are paying the price for Labor's reckless economic and energy policies. As people sit around the Christmas table, they'll ask a simple question: are we better off now than we were three years ago? The answer is no.