Editorial | June 18, 2022

State Labor leader Rebecca White is right in saying many people are being forced to make the tough decision between "eating or heating" in reference to feeding their family or keeping them warm.

A decision no person should be forced to make. But when filling up the car now costs more than $100, a trip to the supermarket is as costly as a small holiday and paying bills is becoming a stressful task among many other household budget pressure points, such a decision is becoming more common.

The Examiner's 64^th Winter Relief Appeal starts today, and together our aim is to raise $75,000 for our four partner charities - the Salvation Army, City Mission, the St Vincent de Paul Society and the Launceston Benevolent Society - to assist Northern Tasmanians in need and help run their important community support programs.

The appeal - together with its parent Christmas equivalent The Empty Stocking Appeal - raises much-needed funds for people struggling.

Every cent counts and every cent goes directly to the charities to use where it is needed most.

So please consider donating this winter to help make someone else's life a bit more comfortable and joyous as things look like getting worse before they get better for low-income families.

Interest rates will continue to climb this year, federal government relief at the petrol bowser will end in September and there is no sign consumables will get cheaper.

So the Labor Commonwealth government and state Liberal government are going to have to do more to support Tasmanians - a lot more than they are doing at the moment.

While the state government's help for concession cardholders to pay their power bills is welcome, surely a broad policy review is needed to ensure Tasmanians pay the cheapest possible power prices and are protected from such ridiculous price hikes.

Former visionary leaders set up the state's hydro scheme to ensure Tasmanians were set up for the future. We produce all our own power and Tasmanians should be looked after first and foremost.

And people are not buying the spin coming from head office - enough is enough.

Meanwhile, the Albanese government is floundering around the edges saying it will consider support for struggling Australians when it hands down its budget in October.

That is four months away, people need help now.

Labor spent nine years criticising the Liberals from opposition about looking after the top end of town and ignoring the battlers. Well, now is the ALP's chance to prove its worth.

Average people are dizzy from the bland, meaningless political spin they are being spun around politicians understanding people's pain without any meaningful support.

The next few weeks and months will test the state and federal government on whether either administration have hearts and souls.

The jury is out and the clock is ticking.