'Smashed by bills' | Young mum's heartbreaking call to Levy amid rising costs

Let's get a couple of calls though.Louise is at Silverdale.Morning, Louise.

I suppose I'm calling because I'm a 32 -year -old and I'm thinking, is anyone else in my boat?My husband and I in the last three weeks have been smashed.by bills.I've never seen anything like it before.Yesterday, we received a $1 ,500 electricity bill.We're not doing anything excessive.

We have two very young children.We've received a daycare increase.We're now paying $900 a fortnight in daycare, and that's after the subsidy.We're on modest incomes, but nothing where you can comfortably say that on a Saturday night, Hey, let's go out to dinner, you know, like we always used to do back in the day.And, you know, it's not a big ask to say to a young family, let's go to dinner.But you feel guilty if you do, because you think, oh, that money could have gone elsewhere.

You know, every time I go to the groceries, I'll go to Woolworths and I'm not leaving, even if I had to pick up five things.It's costing me at least $100.You know, you look at that and you think, oh my God, what am I doing wrong?I'm not doing anything wrong.I'm just trying to live and put a roof over my children's head.We then got council rates yesterday.

They're $700.I have a bin, a little red bin that's overflowing because, you know, if I want a bigger bin, I have to pay more.But I refuse to do that because I think this is ridiculous.What am I getting?

Every morning I get into work at about 4 .30 and I spend the first 15 minutes of my day reading through listener emails, replying to a number of them, and I reckon three out of every four are indicating exactly what you've just indicated.Electricity bills, childcare, insurance, council rates.There's just no relief, yet the Prime Minister and the Treasurer stand there in front of the TV cameras and say what a wonderful job they're doing.We're making it easier for people.Well, what have they done to make life easier for someone like you, Louise?A family of four that's paying $1 ,500 for your electricity bill.

We're sick and tired of the BS.We're sick and tired of the spin.We're sick and tired of thelies.We want people who want to put Australia first, and that's what it all boils down to.Forget about their mates over in other countries.

Forget about climate conferences in Fiji.Start looking after people like you, Louise, that are out there doing their best to live a life and support your family, and you just feel like you can't win the battle that you're facing at the moment.Louise, stay strong, and you know I'm here anytime you want to give me a ring, all right?