Sunrise host Nat Barr unleashes at Anthony Albanese about cost of living

Natalie Barr has posed two tough questions to Anthony Albanese over the cost-of-living crisis following alarming reports children were stealing food from their classmates because they were going to school hungry.

The TV host grilled the prime minister over the dire situation many Aussies were facing on Seven’s morning show on Wednesday.

She first referred to the shocking news that the crisis had now spread to the school yard.

‘We know inflation is coming down but it’s not coming down fast enough’ she told Mr Albanese.

‘We hear this morning, prime minister, that students are pretending to go to the toilet at school, rummaging through other kids bags to steal their lunches.’

‘That’s coinciding with the interest rate rises. This is under your watch. How do you feel about that?’

The prime minister explained that he knew ‘what it was like to do it tough’ and understood the difficult situation facing Australian families.

‘My government will work each and everyday to make a difference. We have had global inflation, has had a real impact here as it has around the world,’ he said.

Mr Albanese pointed out how interest rates were still lower in Australia compared to the United States and Europe.

He referred to measures implemented by his government, such as the energy rebate, designed to lower costs for households.

But Barr stressed that Aussies with mortgages were being ‘smashed’ and many were barely able to keep up following the consistent rate hikes.

‘They are writing to us everyday. They are barely able to cope. We know that. But someone is still spending. Retail spending is up,’ the presenter said. 

‘What else can you do for the people who are still spending, because it seems the people with the mortgages are just the ones being hit all the time. What’s your message to the Reserve Bank?’

The prime minister responded: ‘Well, you are right Nat. Some people are doing okay, while others are doing it really tough. And that’s why the government has a difficult task to manage.’

‘That’s why we have to target our spending in a way that doesn’t put pressure on inflation, that targets that relief plan that we have,’ he said. 

The prime minister (pictured) told the TV presenter that he knew ‘what it was like to do it tough’ and understood the difficult situation facing Australian families

Barr’s comment on the theft of food in schools refer to a recent report from a NSW primary school that students were stealing their classmates’ lunches as their parent or guardian couldn’t afford to feed them (stock image)

Barr’s comment on the theft of food in schools refers to a report from a NSW primary school that students were stealing their classmates’ lunches as their parent or guardian couldn’t afford to feed them. 

The charity Foodbank have revealed further reports of students turning up to school without any food – which has correlated with the rise in interest rates. 

It’s resulted in schools calling on charities to help feed students so they don’t go hungry. 

Foodbank chief executive Brianna Casey said there has been a significant increase in the number of schools across the country signing up with the charity in order to receive food to feed students. 

‘We are deeply concerned that the is having more of an impact on vulnerable families, and we’re seeing more people needing food relief more often,’ she told Newscorp.

‘We’re hearing reports from schools of children stealing lunch from other children’s lunch boxes.

‘The consequences are really alarming from a health perspective and for educational outcomes – we can’t expect children to concentrate in class and behave well when they are so hungry they’ve tipped into ‘hangry’ before the day has started.’