Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Macquarie for the question. The Albanese government has not wasted a single day in delivering our plan to build a better future for all Australians, and this of course includes in the Social Services portfolio. In our first 12 months we've delivered on our commitments, laying a strong foundation for a better future for all Australians. We've already delivered for over 16,000 older Australians who have now been granted the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, who would not have been eligible previously. We've also legislated measures to support pensioners who are downsizing their homes, and we've frozen deeming rates. We've delivered the promised doubling of funding for disability representative organisations and we have begun development of the National Autism Strategy. We've improved paid parental leave and we're expanding it so that parents can access six months, and we're strengthening the social safety net by providing additional cost-of-living relief for those on the lowest incomes.

Of course, a key priority for this government has been taking action to address family, domestic and sexual violence. We have delivered the 10-year National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children in one generation, with that commitment up by a $2 billion record investment in women's safety initiatives.

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