Monthly Archives: March 2026

WA COST-OF-LIVING CRISIS DEEPENS AS HOUSEHOLDS AND BUSINESSES HIT BREAKING POINT

SENATOR DEAN SMITH SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE SHADOW TREASURER SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR THE COST OF LIVING LIBERAL SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA 31 March 2026 WA COST-OF-LIVING CRISIS DEEPENS AS HOUSEHOLDS AND BUSINESSES HIT BREAKING POINT Cost of living pressures under the Albanese Government are driving growing economic anxiety in WA. The latest CCIWA Consumer Confidence Survey reveals confidence has fallen to its lowest level since March 2023. The survey of 836 households found that 72 per cent identified living costs as their biggest concern, while 28 per cent expect economic conditions to worsen. More than half – or 54 per cent – are already planning to cut discretionary spending, including on dining, retail and entertainment. At the same time, a CCIWA snap survey of more than 430 WA businesses highlights the scale of the fuel-driven shock to the economy. The survey found 82 per cent of businesses are experiencing higher supplier costs, with 45 per cent directly impacted by fuel shortages. 31 per cent, almost one in three, describe the impact as significant or severe, while just 7 per cent report no impact. 56 per cent absorbing higher costs and 44 per cent passing those costs on to consumers. The result is a compounding cycle where higher business costs drive higher consumer prices. The economic consequences are already emerging, with nearly half of businesses cutting non-essential spending, while one in four are reviewing staffing levels, raising concerns about jobs and economic resilience. With households tightening budgets, sectors like retail, hospitality and tourism—particularly in regional WA—are expected to feel the impact first. These are the economic realities for Western Australians after nearly four years of the Albanese Government.   Quotes attributable to Senator Dean Smith “This data confirms the toll of the Albanese Labor Government’s economic mismanagement on Western Australian households and businesses.” “It mirrors recent national figures that also confirm consumer confidence is at a historic low.” “More than 70 per cent of households say living costs are their biggest concern, while over 80 per cent of businesses are facing higher costs – yet Labor continues to deny it has a spending problem that is driving inflation and making it harder to run a home or business in WA” “This is what happens when you have a high spending government fuelling inflation – business costs go up, families cut back, both are left exposed to external shocks like the one in the Middle East.”

COMMUNITY SECTOR REPORT CONFIRMS COST-OF-LIVING PRESSURES HITTING HOUSEHOLDS

SENATOR DEAN SMITH SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE SHADOW TREASURER SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR THE COST OF LIVING LIBERAL SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA 23 March 2026 COMMUNITY SECTOR REPORT CONFIRMS COST-OF-LIVING PRESSURES HITTING HOUSEHOLDS A new report published by the Queensland Council of Social Service (QCOSS) has confirmed that cost-of-living pressures are driving a sharp rise in demand for community support services under the Albanese Government. The QCOSS State of the Sector 2025 report found 81 per cent of services experienced increased demand in the past year, while only 9 per cent said they are always able to meet demand. Housing pressures are a key driver. The report notes some households are spending up to 49 per cent – almost half – of their income on rent, while more than 31,000 households remain on the social housing waiting list, with rental vacancy rates sitting around one per cent. Confirming the toll of Labor’s cost of living crisis, community organisations report that Australians who previously did not require assistance are now seeking it as the price of essentials continues to rise. At the same time, the report found 80 per cent of organisations say government funding does not cover the full cost of service delivery, placing increasing pressure on frontline services. Unsurprisingly, the workforce is also under strain, with 46 per cent of staff reporting pressure due to understaffing and 44 per cent reporting emotional exhaustion. These findings, as has been the case with a number of recent reports, confirm the significant pressures cost of living increases are placing on households and the community sector on the Albanese Government’s watch – both across Queensland and nationally. Comments attributable to Senator Dean Smith “Frontline organisations are telling us demand is rising rapidly while their capacity to respond is stretched – this is a common story from organisations and a direct result of Labor’s inability to manage the economy and inflation.” “The QCOSS report shows only nine per cent of services say they can always meet demand, while more than eighty per cent are seeing demand increase.” “When eighty per cent of organisations advise funding does not cover the cost of delivering services, it is clear the sector is under enormous strain.” “These figures show the cost of living crisis is not only affecting households under the Albanese Government – it is placing growing pressure on the organisations working so hard to support them.”

FUEL CHAOS HURTS WA DRIVERS MOST

SENATOR DEAN SMITH SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE SHADOW TREASURER SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR THE COST OF LIVING LIBERAL SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA 23 March 2026 FUEL CHAOS HURTS WA DRIVERS MOST Data analysis reveals why Western Australian motorists will be among the worst affected by skyrocketing fuel prices under the Albanese Government. Based on the latest available Census information*, WA had the largest number of households with two cars in Australia. It was also second only to Tasmania in having the most households with three or more cars. The analysis was completed by the office of Senator Dean Smith, who is Opposition spokesman for the Cost of Living. Data confirms 39.1 per cent of Western Australia households, or 376,783 homes, had two cars – higher than any other state – with a national average of 36.3 per cent. The average in other states ranged from 34.1 per cent (New South Wales) to 37.5 per cent (Queensland). The WA figure was up slightly on the 38.9 per cent recorded in the previous Census. Significantly, the West also had a near record number of households with three or more vehicles, at 20.7 per cent, or just under 200,000 homes. Tasmania was the only state with a higher rate at 22.3 per cent – and both were well above the national average of 18 per cent. Fuel prices continue to climb on Labor’s watch, with a failure of forward planning and mixed messaging about supply from an Energy Minister who has clearly been asleep at the wheel. In WA, there are also two aggravating factors to consider. Firstly, there has been massive population growth since this Census data was recorded, meaning a much higher number of motorists in the West will now be affected at the bowser. Secondly, it is a simple fact that Perth drivers generally have farther to travel. Perth is now reportedly the “longest” city in the world, featuring a 150km urban sprawl stretching from Two Rocks to Dawesville. All this combines to leave WA motorists uniquely exposed to the Albanese Government’s worsening fuel price pain.   Comments attributable to Senator Dean Smith: “Each data study confirms it – whether it be due to government spending and inflation, or a failure to address fuel insecurity – Australians are worse off under Labor.” “Unfortunately, we continue to see that WA is disproportionately affected, from record rental stress to the emerging fuel crisis.” “WA, and even Perth itself, is a place where many people need a vehicle to shop, to go to work, to care for a relative or do the school run, and on the Albanese Government’s watch they are paying dearly for it.” “At a time when Australian need clarity and a plan for fuel supply from their Government, Labor is failing them.” “Worst of all, this comes on top of existing cost of living pressures, with inflation and interest rates up and predicted to stay there, leaving Western Australians poorly placed to absorb fuel price spikes.”   *Census, August 2021

LABOR CALLED ON TO ADDRESS COST OF LIVING CRISIS IN NEW REPORT

SENATOR DEAN SMITH SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE SHADOW TREASURER SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR THE COST OF LIVING LIBERAL SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA 20 March 2026 LABOR CALLED ON TO ADDRESS COST OF LIVING CRISIS IN NEW REPORT The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has highlighted the “human stories of struggle” behind the Albanese Government’s cost of living crisis, urging the Albanese Government to “listen and act”. The organisation’s Social Justice Statement, The Cost of Our Living: Economic and Social Justice for the Common Good, outlines the financial strain being experienced by households as rising prices outpace incomes. Evidence cited in the report reveals more than 70 per cent of Australians say the cost of goods and services has risen faster than their earnings. Food insecurity is increasing, with more than one in three Australian households having difficulty accessing sufficient food in 2025, forcing many families to skip meals or rely on emergency food relief. The report notes that housing pressures remain another major contributor, with more than 1.2 million low-income households spending over 30 per cent of their income on housing costs. Also addressed are the severe, unique pressures facing regional and remote communities, where basic food costs can be more than double those in capital cities. Unsurprisingly, this is also affecting wellbeing, with nearly half of those living in financial stress reporting worsening mental health. The statement emphasises the vital role of community organisations in supporting Australians through the crisis, noting that Catholic social service organisations assist around 700,000 people each year, while the St Vincent de Paul Society provides about $50 million in emergency relief annually.   Comments attributable to Senator Dean Smith: “The Social Justice Statement is a powerful reminder that there are very real human consequences behind the statistics – and behind Labor’s cost of living crisis.” “It is unacceptable that, in a country as prosperous as Australia, households are skipping meals or unable to keep a roof over their heads because they simply cannot afford it.” “In large part, this is a result of the Albanese Government’s economic mismanagement, which has seen inflation and interest rates stay higher for longer.” “The Statement is one of a number of recent reports that confirm frontline organisations are facing unprecedented demand supporting struggling Australians.” “Charities across the country are raising the same alarm – the cost-of-living crisis is having serious effects across our communities and Labor must take urgent action to ease the pressure on them.”

RBA RATE HIKE DEEPENS MORTGAGE PAIN IN LABOR-HELD SEATS

With inflation still elevated after the Albanese Government failing to rein in spending, the Reserve Bank has again been forced to lift the cash rate by another 0.25 percentage points – adding yet more pressure on Australian households already struggling with rising mortgage repayments.

RBA RATE HIKE HITS WA MORTGAGE BELT

SENATOR DEAN SMITH SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE SHADOW TREASURER SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR THE COST OF LIVING LIBERAL SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA 17 March 2026 RBA RATE HIKE HITS WA MORTGAGE BELT Today’s decision by the Reserve Bank of Australia to lift the cash rate by 0.25 percentage points will place even greater pressure on mortgage-holding families across Western Australia’s fast-growing outer suburbs. New analysis commissioned by Senator Dean Smith from the Federal Parliamentary Library shows Western Australia features prominently among the suburbs most exposed to rising interest rates, with several Perth communities ranking among the top twenty locations nationally with the highest concentration of households paying a mortgage. Using the latest ABS Census data*, the analysis identifies the 20 suburbs across Australia where the largest share of homes are owned with a mortgage. At the top of the list nationally is Strathnairn in the ACT, where 85.4 per cent of homes are owned with a mortgage. Six Perth suburbs appear in the national top twenty, highlighting just how exposed Western Australia’s mortgage belt is to rising interest rates. Communities such as Brabham, Piara Waters, Byford, Landsdale, Harrisdale, Aveley and Carramar are home to thousands of young families who bought homes during the recent housing boom and are now bearing the full impact of rising repayments. Except for Flagstone (West)–New Beith and part of Clyde North–South, every suburb identified sits in a Federal Labor electorate, including several in the WA seats of Burt, Hasluck, Cowan and Pearce. The Parliamentary Library analysis also tracked changes in mortgage repayments between August 2021 and early 2026, a period largely under the Albanese Government. In Brabham–Henley Brook, the WA suburb highest on the list, median monthly mortgage repayments increased by $755 between August 2021 and January 2026, rising to $2,856 per month. With the Reserve Bank lifting the cash rate again today by 0.25 percentage points, repayments will rise further for households already facing significant financial pressure. The analysis also models the impact of additional increases. If three further rate rises of 25 basis points occurred, median monthly repayments in Brabham–Henley Brook would reach $3,011 by January 2027 — up $1,061 since August 2021. Because the Census baseline is from August 2021, the number of households now affected is likely significantly higher, reflecting strong population growth and new housing construction across Perth’s growth corridors. At the same time Australians are carrying larger mortgages than ever before, with ABS Lending Indicators showing the average home loan rose by $42,000 in the December quarter to $736,000. Comments attributable to Senator Dean Smith: “Today’s interest rate rise will hit Western Australian mortgage holders particularly hard.” “Perth’s outer suburbs are ground zero for mortgage stress, with thousands of families already paying significantly more each month on their home loans.” “This data shows Western Australia’s mortgage belt is among the most exposed in the country to interest rate rises.” “The Reserve Bank has made clear inflation pressures remain, and unless the Albanese Government restores fiscal discipline to the Budget, families face the prospect of even higher repayments.” “For many Western Australian households, each rate rise means hundreds of dollars more every month going to the bank instead of their family budget.”

COMMUNITY SECTOR REPORT CONFIRMS COST-OF-LIVING PRESSURES HITTING FAMILIES

SENATOR DEAN SMITH SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE SHADOW TREASURER SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR THE COST OF LIVING LIBERAL SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA 9 March 2026 COMMUNITY SECTOR REPORT CONFIRMS COST-OF-LIVING PRESSURES HITTING FAMILIES A major new report from the Queensland Council of Social Service (QCOSS) has confirmed that cost-of-living pressures are driving a sharp rise in demand for community support services. The QCOSS State of the Sector 2025 report found 81 percent of services experienced increased demand in the past year, while only 9 percent said they are always able to meet demand. Housing pressures are a key driver. The report notes some households are spending up to 49 percent of their income on rent, while more than 31,000 households remain on the social housing waiting list, with rental vacancy rates sitting around one per cent. Community organisations report that more Australians who previously did not require assistance are now seeking help as the cost of essentials continues to rise. At the same time, the report found 80 per cent of organisations say government funding does not cover the full cost of service delivery, placing increasing pressure on frontline services. The workforce is also under strain, with 46 percent of staff reporting pressure due to understaffing and 44 percent reporting emotional exhaustion. The findings highlight the growing pressures cost-of-living increases are placing on both households and the community sector.   Comments attributable to Senator Dean Smith “Frontline organisations are telling us demand is rising rapidly while their capacity to respond is stretched.” “The QCOSS report shows only nine percent of services say they can always meet demand, while more than eighty per cent are seeing demand increase.” “When eighty percent of organisations say funding does not cover the cost of delivering services, it is clear the sector is under enormous strain.” “These figures show the cost of living crisis is not only affecting families – it is placing growing pressure on the organisations working every day to support them.”

LABOR SEATS ACROSS AUSTRALIA ARE THE WORST AFFECTED BY ALBANESE GOVERNMENT’S MORTGAGE PAIN

SENATOR DEAN SMITH SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE SHADOW TREASURER SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR THE COST OF LIVING LIBERAL SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA 4 March 2026 LABOR SEATS ACROSS AUSTRALIA ARE THE WORST AFFECTED BY ALBANESE GOVERNMENT’S MORTGAGE PAIN New analysis has identified the top twenty suburbs across Australia most likely to be impacted by the Albanese Government’s inflation crisis – and that almost all of them are in Labor-held electorates. The analysis of the most recent ABS Census data*, commissioned by Senator Dean Smith from the Federal Parliamentary Library, identifies those suburbs with the highest concentration of mortgages nationally. Strathnairn in the ACT topped the list, with 85.4 percent of homes owned with a mortgage. This was followed by the ACT’s Denman Prospect (78.2 percent); Brabham-Henley Brook in Perth’s north-east (75.5 percent); Melbourne’s Clyde North-South (73.8 percent); Piara Waters-Forrestdale in Perth’s south-east (72.7 percent), Googong in NSW (71.6 percent); and Flagstone West-New Beith outside of Brisbane (70.8 percent); Eynesbury-Exford near Melbourne (70.2 percent); and the suburbs of Taylor (70.0 percent), Throsby (69.4 percent), and Moncreiff (68.8 percent) in the ACT. Completing the list were Marsden Park-Shanes Park in western Sydney and Fraser Rise-Plumpton in Melbourne (both 68.6 percent); Byford, south-east of Perth (68.4 percent); Landsdale in Perth’s north-west (68.1 percent); Mickleham-Yuroke outside Melbourne (67.7 percent); Harrisdale in WA (67.2 percent); Box Hill-Nelson, northwest of Sydney (67.1 percent), Aveley in Perth’s north-east (67.0 percent); and – at number 20 – Carramar in Perth’s north-west (66 percent). Except for Flagstone (West)-New Beith and part of Clyde North-South, every other location on the list sits within a seat held by Federal Labor. This includes four suburbs in the ACT electorate of Fenner, three in Burt in WA, two suburbs in WA’s Hasluck, and one suburb each in the electorates of Bean, Holt, Eden-Monaro, Hawke, Chifley, Gorton, Cowan, Calwell, Greenway, and Pearce. Using the same Census data, the analysis tracks changes in mortgage repayments between August 2021 and February 2026, a period almost entirely under Labor Government. In Strathnairn for example, median monthly mortgage repayments increased by $848 between August 2021 and January 2026 to $3,039. Following the recent interest rate rise in February 2026, repayments rose by a further $84 – or $1,008 per year. The Reserve Bank of Australia has reinforced the link between Government spending and inflation, with Governor Michele Bullock this week flagging that a rate increase in May 2026 is a “live option”. Several leading economists have predicted up to four rate rises this year. The Census Data analysis projects what mortgage repayments would look like if a further three rate increases of 25 basis points each occurred. Median monthly repayments in Strathnairn would climb to $3,383 by January 2027, up a massive $1,192 from August 2021. Because the Census baseline is from August 2021, the number of households now affected will be significantly higher, reflecting strong population growth and new housing construction across metropolitan growth corridors. This pressure is compounded by the fact Australians are carrying larger mortgages than ever before. Recent ABS Lending Indicators data shows the average home loan increased by $42,000 in the December quarter to $736,000. Comments attributable to Senator Dean Smith: “The Reserve Bank and economists are all advising there will be no interest rate relief in 2026.” “The unfolding crisis in the Middle East will have inflationary impacts and, by failing to address inflation sooner, the Albanese Government has left Australian households vulnerable to mortgage repayment increases through further inflation and interest rate rises.” “The data reveals that Labor voters will bear the cost of its inability to tame inflation and the interest rate rises that has led to.” “This data analysis confirms two things: The massive increase in mortgage repayments Australians are shouldering under the Albanese Government and that the households worst impacted are the same ones Labor was elected to represent.” “Cost of living issues will dominate the next Federal Election and Labor’s out of control spending and the inflation it fuels is hurting its own constituents.” “Unless the Albanese Government restores fiscal discipline to the Budget, the Reserve Bank has made it clear that further interest rate rises are likely throughout this year.” “This analysis reveals how dramatically each rate rise impacts the monthly repayments of Australian households – and the crippling pressure multiple increases in 2026 would put on them.”   *ABS Census, August 2021

AUSTRALIAN SUBURBS WORST AFFECTED BY LABOR’S MORTGAGE PAIN REVEALED

SENATOR DEAN SMITH SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE SHADOW TREASURER SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR THE COST OF LIVING LIBERAL SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA 4 March 2026 AUSTRALIAN SUBURBS WORST AFFECTED BY LABOR’S MORTGAGE PAIN REVEALED New analysis has identified the top twenty suburbs across Australia most likely to be impacted by the Albanese Government’s inflation crisis. The analysis of the most recent ABS Census data*, commissioned by Senator Dean Smith from the Federal Parliamentary Library, identifies those suburbs with the highest concentration of mortgages. Strathnairn in the ACT topped the list, with 85.4 percent of homes owned with a mortgage. It was followed by the ACT’s Denman Prospect (78.2 percent); Brabham-Henley Brook in Perth’s north-east (75 percent); Clyde North-South in Melbourne’s south-east (73.8 percent); Piara Waters-Forrestdale in Perth’s south-east (72.7 percent), Googong in NSW (71.6 percent); and Flagstone West-New Beith outside of Brisbane (70.8 percent); Eynesbury-Exford near Melbourne (70.2 percent); and the suburbs of Taylor (70.0 percent), Throsby (69.4 percent), and Moncreiff (68.8 percent) in the ACT. Completing the list were Marsden Park-Shanes in western Sydney and Fraser Rise-Plumpton in Melbourn (both 68.6 percent); Byford, south-east of Perth (68.4 percent); Landsdale in Perth’s north-west (68.1 percent); Mickleham-Yuroke outside Melbourne (67.7 percent); Harrisdale in WA (67.2); Box Hill-Nelson northwest of Sydney (67.1 percent), Aveley in Perth’s north-east (67.0 percent); and – at number 20 – Carramar in Perth’s north-west (66 percent). It is worth noting that, with the exception of one suburb in Brisbane, every location on the list sits within a Labor-held seat. This includes three suburbs in the WA electorate of Burt, three in Fenner in the ACT, two suburbs in both WA’s Hasluck and the ACT’s Canberra, and one suburb each in the electorates of Holt, Eden-Monaro, Hawke, Chifley, Gorton, Cowan, Calwell, Greenway, and Pearce. Using the same Census data, the analysis tracks changes in mortgage repayments between August 2021 and February 2026, a period almost entirely under Labor Government. In Strathnairn for example, median monthly mortgage repayments increased by $848 between August 2021 and January 2026 to $3,039. Following the recent interest rate rise in February 2026, repayments rose by a further $84 – or $1,008 per year. The Reserve Bank of Australia has reinforced the link between Government spending and inflation, warning that further rate rises will be necessary unless inflationary pressures ease. Several leading economists have predicted up to four rate rises in 2026. The Census Data analysis also projects what mortgage repayments would look like if this occurred – a further three rate increases of 25 basis points each. That would take median monthly repayments in Strathairn to $3,383 by January 2027, up a massive $1,192 from August 2021. Because the Census baseline is from August 2021, the number of households affected today is likely significantly higher, reflecting strong population growth and new housing construction across metropolitan growth corridors. This pressure is compounded by the fact Australians are carrying larger mortgages than ever before. Recent ABS Lending Indicators data shows the average home loan increased by $42,000 in the December quarter to $736,000, reflecting the continued surge in house prices. Comments attributable to Senator Dean Smith: “This data analysis confirms two things: The massive increase in mortgage repayments Australians are shouldering under the Albanese Government and the fact that those who are worst impacted are the same people Labor was elected to represent.” “Cost of living issues will dominate the next Federal Election and Labor’s out of control spending and the inflation it is fuelling is hurting its own constituents.” “And the pain may continue through 2026, with the Reserve Bank making clear it will have no choice but to increase interest rates further if inflationary pressures do not ease.