Steve Georganas (Adelaide, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am so immensely proud to be part of the Albanese Labor government in this 47th Parliament and to represent the seat of Adelaide. This parliament is one of the most diverse parliaments in the history of our federation. For someone like me, who has been a long-term defender of multiculturalism and has long fought for greater diversity, this makes me extremely proud. It also makes me proud to be part of this Labor government, a government that will govern for all Australians. We will do this in the spirit of unity and togetherness, which is in stark contrast to the combative nature of the previous government.

We have wasted no time in implementing the priorities that the Australian people told us they want. In May 2022 Australians voted for change. They voted for a Labor government to build a better, fairer and cleaner future. In the months since the election we have dedicated ourselves to delivering just that. We've already legislated to fix the previous government's mess of the aged-care sector. We've legislated to deliver a cleaner and greener future and to tackle climate change. This was one of the core campaign commitments in the lead-up to the 2022 election. People told us that they wanted a cleaner environment and a greener future, and for us to tackle climate change, and that's what we're doing.

We are also delivering cheaper medicines and reforming Medicare to ensure it is sustainable and appropriate for future generations. We have legislated 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave. We have repealed the cashless debit card and expanded access to the Commonwealth seniors health card. We are delivering A Future Made in Australia with Jobs and Skills Australia, and we've finally delivered a National Anti-Corruption Commission. That was long overdue, and it was something that people told me quite clearly they wanted, not only in my electorate but all over Australia. We've delivered cheaper child care for Australian families.

But the list does not stop there. We're currently in the process of debating legislation to deliver even more, including secure jobs and better pay, and safer and more secure workplaces for Australian women. We are also continuing to implement a very important part of our parliamentary work, the Uluru Statement from the Heart, in full, with a referendum this year that will enshrine a First Nations Voice to Parliament in the Constitution. We've wasted no time, and it's only the start. Australians wanted change, and this Albanese Labor government will deliver. We made a promise during the election campaign to implement the Uluru Statement from the Heart in full. We are committed to Australia reconciling with our past, telling and knowing the truth about history, and placing a First Nations voice at the heart of our democratic process. Voice, truth and treaty, and Closing the Gap: we can only do this by working together.

The Prime Minister said it all at the Garma festival when he said:

We approach these tasks and the work of constitutional change, with humility and with hope.

Humility: because over 200 years of broken promises and betrayals, failures and false starts demand nothing less.

Humility because—so many times—the gap between the words and deeds of governments has been as wide as this great continent.

But also hope.

…   …   …

I believe there is room in Australian hearts, for the Statement from the Heart.

I can only concur with these words and add my personal commitment to implementing the Uluru Statement from the Heart and achieving true reconciliation. For too long, First Nations people have had to endure a lack of voice, and this must change.

We've also seen a decade of inaction on climate change. Actually, I'll take that back. It wasn't just inaction from the previous government; it was complete denial. We are making acting on climate change a priority for the government and an opportunity for Australia. We recently passed our Climate Change Bill, a historic moment, and we'll embrace the transition to clean energy and create hundreds of thousands of new jobs in the process.

Under our Powering Australia plan we expect to create more than 600,000 job opportunities, with five out of every six in regional Australia. The plan will disburse $76 billion worth of investment and help families and businesses save hundreds of dollars a year on their bills, but it's also a plan to bring people together and move the country forward around a collective desire to take fairer and stronger action on climate change, and it will accelerate our efforts towards net zero emissions by 2050.

Our Rewiring the Nation plan will modernise the Australian grid, getting us up to 82 per cent renewable energy in our electricity system by 2030. Our National Electric Vehicle Strategy will increase access to affordable electric and hydrogen vehicles, and the National Battery Strategy will use our talented people and our international advantage in raw materials to not just supply minerals but build a domestic industry. These steps will ensure Australia will once again become a world leader on climate change. We've already delivered on child care. Australians are doing it tough, and we've seen the cost of living and a whole range of other things, worldwide, going up, but we're helping by making child care more affordable. The rising cost of child care is putting a lot of pressure on families and is continuing to drag on economic participation and productivity. To honour a key election commitment, we will reduce childcare costs for more than a million families.

Debate interrupted.

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