Cassandra Fernando (Holt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The Albanese government's principle of delivering a better future for every Australian was proudly reiterated in this week's budget. I might say this budget stands in stark contrast to a typical Liberal budget. In fact, there were no—once again, no—zombie measures like those that featured in Tony Abbott's budget. This budget will provide targeted relief to various sections of our community who are doing it tough. It'll do this while producing a modest surplus—something those opposite never achieved in the last nine years. The irony is not lost on me that, as we speak in this chamber about housing and health care, the Liberals in the other place of voting against our signature Housing Australia Future Fund. I am continually amazed by the hypocrisy displayed by those opposite. They are actively blocking the creation of 30,000 new social and affordable rental homes in the fund's first five years. I, once again, encourage all senators in the other place to join Labor in creating more desperately needed social housing across the country.

Luckily, it doesn't stop there. We have increased Commonwealth rent assistance by 15 per cent, and we've provided a further $2 billion in financing for more social and affordable rental housing through the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation. We are offering new incentives to boost the supply of rental housing by reforming arrangements for investments in build-to-rent accommodation. Further, the budget will help more Australians into homeownership through the significant expansion of eligibility criteria for the Home Guarantee Scheme. Under these positive changes, family members and friends will be eligible for joint applications under the First Home Guarantee and the Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee. This will increase the purchasing power of ordinary Australians.

Importantly, part of our housing package is committed to our veterans. There is $30 million of the Housing Australia Future Fund that is dedicated purely to supporting veterans housing. We know this is vital, as nearly 6,000 veterans find themselves homeless every year. This is why our Housing Australia Future Fund is so vital, and why I can never understand how any member of this parliament can vote against putting roofs over the heads of our veterans and our most vulnerable.

I am also pleased to report that, unlike the last nine years of Liberal government, we are actually investing in our health system, instead of gutting and privatising everything in reach. We have also invested in the largest increase to the Medicare system in 30 years, in the form of a $3.5 billion package to triple the bulk-billing incentives for GP visits. I am proud to have been in this chamber when the Treasurer announced the largest-ever increase in bulk-billing. This translates to a 30 per cent increase in the payments to bulk-billing GPs in our major cities and an increase of around 50 per cent for bulk-billing in our regional and rural areas. This historic investment means three out of five visits to the GP will be bulk billed. Further, we are making medicines cheaper for six million Australians living with chronic conditions by allowing 60 days supply of common medicines and, therefore, halving the number trips made to the GP and pharmacy. All these investments, and more, will support the Australian people and secure our economy into the future.

Only Labor governments have care and the economic skill to deliver responsible and targeted relief to those who need it. I must admit that I thought those opposite would have learned by now that immigrants are not enemies. Some of the hardest-working families in our nation are immigrants, old and new. I know this for a fact because my family—that's correct, my family—is one among them. People like me know that the opposition does not care about people like us, and they never will. That is right: they will never care about people like myself or my family. Unlike those opposite, Labor will continue to support Australian families with humane and measured policies to make sure that no-one in this country is left behind.

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