Libby Coker (Corangamite, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The Morrison government's approach to our biggest health and economic crisis has not protected Australians as well as it should have, and its budget will not navigate Australia out of the recession with the urgency, efficiency or innovation that a once-in-a-100-year budget should contain. Put simply, the Morrison government's response to the economic crisis has not served and will not serve the people of Australia or my electorate of Corangamite as well as it should. This government has a simple plan in place: wait for the media and Australians to point out big problems and then focus on the media response rather than any real solutions. It's not good enough. We need a better plan for recovery. Australians are suffering and they need a federal government that can step up. Labor's vision includes driving employment and limiting the impacts of the recession by investing in social housing, and establishing a centre for disease control to protect Australians.

We know three things right now: (1) there are 100,000 homes run by Australian governments that are desperately in need of repair; (2) there are hundreds of thousands of Australian tradespeople who will experience drawn out underemployment through the COVID recovery; and (3) we are in the middle of a deep recession, and the government must spend to shorten the length of economic underperformance. Knowing these three things leads sensible people to one conclusion: the government should invest in social housing. Concerningly, this isn't on the Morrison government's agenda, despite calls from community organisations and building industry peak bodies such as the Master Builders Association. The government is refusing to stimulate the building sector through a program of community and social housing works that could begin tomorrow. Labor is calling on the government to fix these houses, create jobs and shorten the recession.

The government should invest $500 million to fast-track urgently needed repairs. When I talk to plumbers, bricklayers, builders and sparkies in Corangamite, they tell me they are ready for more work but the demand just isn't there right now. The government needs to step up. Social housing works. It will create this demand, and these tradies have the skills. Most importantly, they can do these works to ensure all social housing residents have safe and secure homes to live in. This plan will generate jobs, including jobs for apprentices and young Australians.

Coronavirus took even the best prepared countries by surprise, but there is no excuse for the health and wellbeing of Australians suffering as a result of underpreparation by the federal government. Our response to the coronavirus pandemic was too slow, too reactive and too uncoordinated. Coronavirus has affected more than 27,000 Australians and killed almost 900. Each of these deaths is a tragedy. Lockdowns are vital to stop the spread, but we also know that lockdowns have significant impact on wellbeing. Restrictions have taken a huge toll on economic prosperity and mental health across the country and in my electorate of Corangamite. It is unacceptable that the last time the federal government ran a national pandemic drill was in 2008, 12 years ago under Labor.

Failure to prepare is preparing to fail, and by failing to run a national pandemic drill the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison government failed to prepare for this devastating pandemic. Australia is the only country in the OECD that doesn't have a centre for disease control. An Albanese Labor government will correct this failure. Establishing a centre for disease control will ensure that we are never caught so unprepared as we were this time. To strengthen Australia's preparedness, the CDC will employ experts and build systems for current and emerging threats to the health of Australians. It will be monitored and acted on swiftly. It will work with state and territory governments and service providers to improve preparedness in the health and aged-care sectors; manage the National Medical Stockpile, ensuring supplies like PPE are available immediately to every medical profession, community organisation and person who needs them; run regular preparedness drills on the scale of exercise sustained in 2008; and work with other countries on regional and global preparedness.

An Australian centre for disease control is a no-brainer and so is investment in social housing. It is policies such as these that demonstrate that our Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, has a vision to create a fairer, safer and more prosperous Australia.

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