Jerome Laxale (Bennelong, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Hawke for bringing this motion to this place because it really outlines what this government has done in 10 short months—not only putting into practice the promises that we took to the election but dealing with the challenges that we've faced since we came to government.

For too long, hardworking Australians have been struggling to make ends meet as their wages have gone backwards, as their bills have grown and as the cost of essential goods and services have risen. From energy bills to child care, housing and healthcare costs, the daily cost of living has become a massive burden for many Australians. And last year the Australian people knew that they needed a government that was not afraid to take these issues head-on. They wanted a government with a plan, not one that was focused on themselves and not one that ignored their concerns. That's why they put their faith in a new government to take on the important responsibility of repairing our economy after a decade of neglect and indifference by those opposite.

This government has a plan to address the complex economic challenges that our country faces, and we now know what a terrible job those opposite did in managing our economy. We heard today in question time minister after minister identifying program after program that was not funded in the budget. They were empty announcements with no funding, leaving the budget booby trapped for the incoming government. They also had no plan to deal with inflation. They hid energy price rises instead of being honest with our community, and they left us with a trillion dollars worth of Liberal debt and with nothing to show for it.

The Liberals and Nationals had no plan to fix the economy that they trashed. So the nation elected a new government to deal with it. We have delivered and we will continue to deliver not just short-term measures to help address this problem but also a comprehensive and multifaceted approach to address the root causes of these issues and to provide Australians with long-term solutions and economic stability.

We are providing genuine relief to household budgets through a large range of measures that we have already delivered. Because of Labor, child care will be cheaper. For nearly 10,000 families in Bennelong, child care will be cheaper from 1 July, putting money back into household budgets. Because of Labor, medicines are already cheaper. There's been the first reduction in the cost of medicines on the PBS from $42.50 down to $30, delivering millions of dollars back to families across the country. And because of Labor, there are more university places available. There are 180,000 fee-free TAFE positions that are already in the system, helping workers retrain for the jobs of the future. And we know that, because of this government, we have got wages moving again.

We also know that we'll deliver more renewable energy and build 400 community batteries, which will add gigawatts and gigawatts of the cheapest form of power available to the grid today. By prioritising the development of renewable energy sources, we'll provide not only affordable power but also long-term sustainable energy supply for all Australians. And, of course, we brought back parliament to implement a price cap on gas and coal, to shield households, industry and manufacturers from energy price spikes, to ensure that they keep their jobs and that they can deal with the hidden cost increases of the former government but also have a buffer against shocks in the future.

We're also working hard to deal with the housing crisis. We know it's tough for lots of Australians to afford a home, especially if they're trying to buy or to rent for the first time, and we know the importance of secure and affordable housing. So we have legislation, which has passed the House and is awaiting approval in the Senate, to get hundreds of millions of dollars in investment into affordable housing, to make it easier for people to rent and own a home but also easier for institutional investors to invest in social housing. We've passed the National Reconstruction Fund, which will help deal with our supply chain issues and create jobs, stimulate economic growth and benefit all Australians.

The coalition will continue to ignore all of these achievements. In 10 short months we've delivered a lot for the Australian people, but there is so much more to do. The coalition will continue to feign care for those impacted by the cost of living. They'll come up here and ask questions and put up matters of public importance. But they'll never present any solutions.

As a responsible and new government, we'll continue to work with and be honest with the Australian people, to deliver restraint and repair of the budget—as we know, it definitely needs repair. By focusing on the economy and putting in policies and initiatives, we'll work hard for all Australians.

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