Cost of living ‘driving’ Australians’ thinking

Fitzpatrick Advisory Special Counsel Bruce Hawker says the cost of living is “driving” the thinking of Australians at the moment. According to the latest Newspoll, the Coalition and Labor are polling equal at 50 per cent on a two-party preferred basis. “My view, and I think it’s one that I’ve maintained consistently as well, is that the government has to be dragging down interest rates, and that means attacking inflation,” Mr Hawker told Sky News Australia. “Until such time as that happens, I think there’s going to be a lot of uncertainty in the polling, and people are going to be concerned that it’s harder and harder for them to make ends meet – that’s an international problem. “When those interest rates do come down … then I think we’ll get a better indication of where the two parties stand in the eyes of the electorate. “What’s really driving people’s thinking at the moment is cost of living.”