Mr HOGAN (Page—Deputy Manager of Opposition Business) (16:06): Australia is heading in the wrong direction. I'm saying that but it is not just me saying that. Deputy Speaker, do you know who is saying that? The majority of the Australian people are saying that. When people are polled and asked: do you think Australia is heading in the wrong direction, the majority of people, the vast majority, a significant majority of people, are saying yes, and that has changed over the period in the last 12 to 18 months. The majority of people have decided that Australia is heading in the wrong direction. Why would they say that? Why do you think they would say that? There is obviously great disappointment in the government, all of you over there are representing that government, and the majority of people in Australia think you are sending this country in the wrong direction. Why would they think that? Why would they be saying that? One of the reasons, obviously, is cost of living. The figure that has been quoted over here a lot, which has been analysed by independent people—not a figure that we made up—is that the average family is $35,000 a year worse off, and $20,000 of that is because of the 12 interest rate increases we've seen from the other side. So the average mortgage is more than $20,000 what it was when those opposite came to government. Of course, we have increases in energy costs, increases in groceries. We just had an increase in everything that people buy and sell. Ms Lawrence interjecting— Mr HOGAN: I'm getting interjections over there all the time from the member for Hasluck, who I think will be a one-term member because people aren't happy in her electorate either. Do you know why they are unhappy with the member for Hasluck and with many others? They are unhappy because this government didn't have a focus for a long time. For the first 18 months they were talking about a Voice, which divided the country, divided families, divided friendship groups. They were focused on that while interest rates were going up, they were focused on that while food prices were going up and they were focused on that while energy costs were going up. Just over the last week or two, what was the main game of those opposite? They weren't talking about cost of living; they were talking about a misinformation bill. That was a big focus for them and that is what they wanted to push through. What was that going to do? It would shut down free speech in this country. That is all it was going to do. If you had an opinion that disagreed with them they were not going to let you wear it. Ms Lawrence interjecting— Mr HOGAN: The member for Hasluck, keep interjecting because you are not going to have many more opportunities. The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I would ask you not to encourage the interjections and I am going to ask the member for Hasluck, who I often have to ask, not to interject. Let 's get through this debate, the last one for the year. Over to you, member for Page. Mr HOGAN: They focused on the Voice to divide our country, focused on the misinformation bill to shut down free speech in this country. That is what the government is focused on while we are heading in the wrong direction. As a regional MP, I certainly feel this. Regional Australia certainly knows this government is not going in the correct direction. I remind this House that regional Australia is the economic powerhouse of this country. A lot of our city cousins, I don't think, appreciate that. The four biggest exports in this country are coal, iron ore, gas and food. None of that comes from a city seat. Deputy Speaker, as a regional MP, you would certainly appreciate that none of that comes from a city seat. Regional Australia is driving the wealth of this country, but that's certainly not how this government treats regional Australia. We've seen so many infrastructure programs shut down. The Stronger Communities program was a favourite of mine, for the little community groups that it would help out: $10,000 or $15,000 for a little community group. It was a great program in regional Australia. Obviously every person on that side didn't want that, because it disappeared. Another great program was the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program. It has been abandoned under this government. Another decision that was very detrimental to regional Australia was the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, where we've seen this government basically commit to take water out of communities, which takes jobs out of communities and takes food out of communities. That hasn't been a good direction for our country. And the other one—we spent a whole MPI on it—is the reckless renewables policy of this government. In sanctimonious-hypocrisy corner over there we have the member for Warringah, who doesn't want eight wind turbines and a hectare of solar panels on North Head, but gee, it's okay to build millions of solar panels and tens of thousands of wind turbines out in the regions, because apparently we don't have culturally or environmentally significant issues with that. I could go on about health—the Distribution Priority Areas, which ravaged GPs from the regions as well. The Australian public is right: this government is putting Australia in the wrong direction. (Time expired)