This week Q+A looks at the cost-of-living crisis, visiting the community of Werribee – a suburb on Melbourne’s western fringe in one of Australia’s fastest-growing regions.
| | | | | | This week Q+A looks at the cost-of-living crisis, visiting the community of Werribee – a suburb on Melbourne’s western fringe in one of Australia’s fastest-growing regions. Right across Australia, households are grappling with the soaring price of life’s essentials as the nation’s economic woes appear to be mounting. Reserve Bank Governor Philip Lowe admits he’s not sure how high interest rates will go, but he’s warned Australians to brace for inflation to peak at 7 per cent by Christmas.
So, just how are families and small businesses coping with the price pressures? Like many communities across the country, residents in suburban areas are worried planning isn’t keeping up with growth – will there be enough jobs, early education services, schools and infrastructure to keep pace with the population boom?
Skilled worker shortages are an issue nationwide, and the new Labor Government says an unprecedented blowout in visa processing could jeopardise the COVID recovery and promising to prioritise speeding up approvals. But while there aren’t enough workers to fill job vacancies, some small businesses are worried that the recent increase in the minimum wage will add too much to the cost of doing business. How is this impacting you?
Farmers say that the minimum wage increase will only add to the already climbing cost of food and families are also bracing for an energy bill price-shock. It’s a perfect storm of economic challenges – and households are paying the price.
We’ll look at the how Australians are coping with the price squeeze and see whether our suburbs are prepared for a population boom over the coming decades. How are you coping with the cost of living? What changes have you been forced to make? And what do our suburbs need most right now as we recover from the pandemic?
All this, plus the news of the week – join us for an important discussion.
Joining David Speers on the panel:
Brendan O'Connor, Minister for Skills and Training
Bridget McKenzie, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development
Gabriela D'Souza, Senior Economist, Committee for Economic Development of Australia
Lech Blaine, Writer and journalist
Alexi Boyd, CEO, Council of Small Business Organisations Australia
Please submit a question via our website by 9am Thursday for the chance to ask the panel.
Each week, Q+A selects our top question to highlight in the newsletter.
Scroll down to watch Thursday's toughest question asked by Thejas Balaraman, who wanted to know if the NSW government learned from Victoria’s 2020 COVID lockdowns. 👇
Watch Q+A Thursday at 8.30pm on ABC TV, streamed live 8.30pm AEST on ABC iview or on our website.
Looking forward to hearing your questions. |
|
|
|
| Get to know the panellists |
|
|
|
|
| | In his 2021 Quarterly Essay, Lech Blaine argued that the elite in Australia have a tendency to imitate a working-class culture they generally don’t belong to. | | LEARN MORE |
|
|
|
|
| | CEDA senior economist Gabriela D'Souza thinks it will likely take up to two years for renewed migration to ease skills shortages across most industries. | | LEARN MORE |
|
|
|
|
| | Alexi Boyd from the Council of Small Business says strengthening protections for migrant workers would ensure small businesses that pay fair wages "are not disadvantaged by others doing the wrong thing." | | LEARN MORE |
|
|
|
|
| Nicola Burgess asks Chris Bowen what climate and energy success will look like for the Labor government. Chris Bowen says as Minister for Energy and Climate Chang, he will work to end the climate wars and create a lot of jobs in the process. | | WATCH |
|
|
|
|
| What does Australia's deepening energy supply crisis mean for you - and how can state and federal governments strengthen our energy policy? | | WATCH |
|
|
|
|
| While Saul Griffith acknowledges that corporations should be held responsible for the energy crisis, he says that households may hold the key to near-term emission reductions. | | WATCH |
|
|
|
|
| | Discover more of the ABC on our Apps | | Find out how to download your favourite app. |
|
|
|
|
| | | | | The ABC sent this message to newsletter@newslettercollector.com, these details are included to help provide assurance that this is a genuine email from ABC. Any personal details and data acquired by the ABC from your participation in any ABC Online Services will be used only in accordance with the ABC's Privacy Policy
© 2022 Australian Broadcasting Corporation ABC, ABN 52 429 278 345, 700 Harris St Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | | | |
| | |
|
|
unsubscribe - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
