Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

When I look at this MPI, I shake my head in disbelief. It reminds me—and has a similar hypocrisy to it—of when, in 2009, the Greens blocked the CPRS scheme, and then each day since have called for more urgent and greater action on emission reductions and climate change. I don't know what cloud the Greens have got their head in, but let me just quote some of the headlines from the front pages of today's papers. From the Herald Sun in Melbourne: 'Jim's battler bulk-up'; the Hobart Mercury: 'Boost to battlers'; the Sydney Morning Herald: 'Jim's war on bills'; the Courier Mail in Brisbane: 'One for the true battlers'; the Canberra Times: 'Pain relief'; and the Daily Telegraph in Sydney: 'Jimmy brings', and it goes on to say, 'Budget works a Chalm for mum', with the first line being: 'Treasurer Jim Chalmers knocked on the door of low-income Australians with a delivery of goodies in last night's federal budget.' Here we have the Greens saying that we are not doing enough for those in real need in this country, and yet the front page of just about every major publication in Australia today says the exact opposite. Someone is clearly out of step with reality, and I suspect it's the people in the Greens who have moved this motion.

Other speakers in this debate have talked about what was in the budget last night that goes directly towards helping the most needy in this country. I'll touch on some of that because, quite frankly, in the time I have, I don't have time to go through all of the assistance measures that were proposed in last night's budget. The bulk billing initiative of $3.5 billion—which will help concession cardholders and children under 16—is direct assistance to everyone in Australia who needs that assistance, including the very people that the Greens and the Independents would say that they are speaking up for. It's projected that the pharmacy dispensing changes will help some six million Australians by reducing their medicine expenses by up to a half. Again, who needs that most? The very people that are in the greatest need.

The $3 billion energy price relief plan in conjunction with the state governments will help households and small businesses. The $4.9 billion JobSeeker payment increase also goes to youth allowance and student income payments and the like. I heard those speakers that support their motion saying that it doesn't go far enough. They forget to say that those same jobseekers also benefit from the bulk-billing changes and benefit from the cheaper medicines. They also benefit from the rent relief that is being provided, and they benefit from the 300,000 fee-free TAFE skills training places announced in last night's budget as well. We then go to the Commonwealth rent assistance, which I just mentioned has been allocated $2.7 billion, and the $1.9 billion for the single parent payment, which has now been expanded until the youngest child is 14 years of age.

Of course, there is the $11.3 billion for the aged-care fund, which the aged-care minister spoke about earlier. That fund will not only support the 250,000 workers in the sector but, just as importantly, will provide some real benefits to the very people in aged-care homes for whom we on this side have been calling for more funding for years. These are some of the most vulnerable people in society, many of them locked away in aged-care homes without any support whatsoever and without the proper care. That's what I call vulnerability, and that is why this government is putting $11.3 billion into supporting those very people. I turn to the stage 3 tax cuts which members opposite continuously refer to. They don't come into effect until 2024-25. They are not in this budget, and why they keep referring to them I don't know. But quite frankly it diminishes their arguments when they are dishonest about the stage 3 tax cuts.

This is indeed a responsible budget that was handed down last night by the Treasurer. It build the foundations for the future. It tries to control inflation, interest rates and unemployment, all of which directly hurt the very people they claim they are standing up for in this place. That's why the Treasurer brought down the budget he brought down. It sets the foundation for the future to help those very people in most need.

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