Ged Kearney (Cooper, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Hansard source

We understand that the rising cost of living is hitting a lot of Australians hard. Inflation is the defining economic challenge of 2023, as it was in 2022. Australians understand that we did not create these challenges, like the war in Ukraine. But they elected us to take responsibility for addressing them, And we are.

In this MPI, the opposition are leading with their chin. I'm not a violent person—I don't even like violent analogies—but I know that my colleagues and I today are going to look at that poked out chin and we are going to sock it to them. The Albanese Labor government is absolutely delivering the positive change Australians voted for, including sensible non-inflationary measures to tackle the cost of living. Those across the way just don't get it. Unless there's a colour coded Excel spreadsheet attached to a budget policy, they seem to have no idea. Managing the economy, of course, is far more complicated than that, and we are staying focused on easing pressure on households and helping Australians manage their budgets, fixing the mess that those opposite left, and getting on maturely and responsibly managing the budget.

We are focused on immediate household budget relief. Just last week in this House I was so pleased to see us pass legislation to improve the Paid Parental Leave scheme. I take the opportunity to thank the Minister for Social Services. As someone who struggled through a difficult time without paid parental leave, having four children, I can tell you that this would've eased the cost of living for me, and it has definitely eased the cost of living for families, including people like my daughters. Who would have thought that those on that side did everything they could to scuttle that scheme.

On 1 January, our cheaper medicines policy took effect—the first time ever there has been a cut to the cost of medicines, which most definitely leads—would you believe it?—to an ease on the cost of living for all Australians who rely on prescription medicines. Imagine, when those opposite were in government, on their watch, people had to make a decision: 'Can I afford my medicines this month or can I pay my rent or put food on the table?' They no longer have to do that. We have introduced cheaper child care. One point two million families will see a significant easing of their cost of living when the policy takes effect on 1 July.

And let's talk about energy costs, which they like to go on about. Can I say here, before I explain what we're actually doing with our superfabulous energy policy, that what people are experiencing now with rising energy costs is in no small way due to 10 years of complete incompetence and mayhem under the previous coalition government, which was incapable of setting up this country with adequate, secure renewable energy, which is the cheapest form of energy, the most sustainable form of energy and the form of energy from which we can draw the most energy security. It's thanks to them for nothing.

You see, we have an energy policy supported by the vast majority of people, businesses, peak bodies and unions. We've introduced legislation that will drive investment in cleaner and cheaper energy, which will without a doubt put downward pressure on prices and—dare I say it?—ease the cost of living. As well as that, we haven't wasted a moment upgrading the grid. Investing in renewables has increased by 50 per cent in a year—most of that since May—and already things like electric vehicles are cheaper and more accessible. We've taken urgent action, with our Energy Price Relief Plan, to shield Australian families and businesses from the worst energy price spikes, easing costs, protecting local industry and saving jobs. To think the opposition voted against that policy! Again, thanks to them for nothing. We now have Treasury data showing our policy is working.

Another vital part of easing the cost of living is making sure people earn decent wages, because they have been stagnant for too long, and we are getting wages moving. We have successfully argued for a minimum wage increase, the first cabinet submission of the Albanese government. The coalition would not back it. They opposed it. They cautioned that the sky would fall in from a $1-an-hour pay increase for the lowest-paid workers. We are about easing the cost of living. They don't seem to be at all.

We supported the aged-care wage case in the Fair Work Commission. We've now seen an interim decision pushing up minimum wages for some aged-care workers by at least 15 per cent—dare I say it?—easing the cost of living for some of the lowest-paid workers. We passed the Secure Jobs, Better Pay legislation, modernising the bargaining system so workers can get their fair share of the national income; their share of the national income had been the lowest it's been for decades. We've introduced paid family and domestic violence leave so that women don't have to lose their jobs when they are struggling with everything it takes to leave a violent home. We are going to make sure there are gender pay equity mechanisms, improving pay for women. We've introduced Revive, a national culture policy that ensures better pay and conditions and more financial security for people in the arts industry. We'll be allowing pensioners to keep more of their income. All of these things immediately ease the cost of living.

You see, we have a vision. We have a plan for this country, which those opposite simply could not manage in 10 long, sorry years, leaving Australia in a mess. We are cleaning up that mess. Not only are we relieving cost-of-living pressures immediately but we have a plan for the longer term to repair the economy. We have long-term plans that will make life easier for everyone and ensure the cost of living continues to ease. We are so proud to have our $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund, which, along with the National Housing Accord and the homebuyer guarantee, will see millions of homes made available, making housing affordable and accessible and tackling homelessness. But they on that side of the House would not support this. Unbelievably, they would not vote for that.

We know that keeping people healthy is an incredibly important part of making sure they can live their best life, and we are reforming and strengthening Medicare, ensuring Australians can get the health care they need, when they need it, where they live. And we are introducing a National Reconstruction Fund, making sure that things are made here, securing supply chains, creating jobs, restoring manufacturing and making Australia a leader in industrial innovation. What could be more vital for the economy? They on that side of the House will not support it. Anyone would think that they want to increase the cost of living, want to keep inflation high and want households to suffer.

We will be introducing 180,000 fee-free TAFE places so that people can get the skills they need to work in the better paid jobs our policies are creating. We will make sure that financial security is front and foremost in our policies by showing fiscal restraint with mature and sensible decision-making, mature and sensible government that goes beyond colour coded spreadsheets, beyond mere political pointscoring, beyond student politics style posturing, beyond cheap social media clips collecting likes and email harnessing, beyond jobs and contracts for the boys. The best thing we can do to ease the cost of living is to be prudent ourselves with the nation's resources.

Finally, I would like to add that the vision of a fairer, more affordable and secure future will be done with the advice and counsel of a First Nations Voice to Parliament and a commitment to treaty and truth-telling, because this is a pathway to reconciliation, a pathway to lasting change. We believe that pathway to a better future is done with people, not to them. Those opposite are so quick to throw barbs, so quick to accuse us of not addressing the cost of living that people are facing, but Australians know better. Australians know that the cost-of-living crisis is due to their inept policies, their mishandling of the economy and their incompetence—

See this speech in context