Carina Garland (Chisholm, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'm really pleased to have the opportunity to speak on this matter. Indeed, I thank the opposition for bringing this to the House today. I know, when I think of a weak and incompetent prime minister, my mind is cast back to the last 10 years. There's a list of names that I'm thinking of, but thank goodness none of them have been in the job since 21 May 2022. Honestly, it does seem, from these strange motions that come constantly before the House, put forward by those opposite, that there is nothing of substance that they can add to the debate when it comes to cost-of-living relief for Australian families. I urge them to do better.

For the purpose of this debate, I think it's only fair and reasonable—and let's accept that this is a sensible motion for one moment; let's pretend it is—that we take a moment to compare and contrast this Prime Minister and this government's record of delivering cost-of-living relief for Australians with that of the opposition. We know that the coalition adopted a deliberate strategy of wage suppression as part of their economic strategy, keeping workers' pay low for nine long years. This Prime Minister and this government, the Albanese Labor government, successfully put forward a case and argued for a Fair Work Commission minimum wage increase in line with inflation, delivering pay rises to the lowest-paid workers in this country. We've also ensured that there is a 15 per cent pay increase for aged-care workers. And let's not forget what the aged-care system looked like under those opposite. It was appalling.

The coalition ignored casual workers during the worst part of the pandemic, telling them ruthlessly, cruelly, to pay their own way through. I know that in my own community of Chisholm there were queues of people left behind at churches and at food banks, trying to get what they needed to survive. During the COVID-19 pandemic we extended the pandemic leave that those opposite had put an expiration date on even though people still needed assistance. The coalition ignored the rising cost of childcare, and I note that the mention of childcare was cast aside as somehow unrelated to the cost of living by those opposite, which just demonstrates how absolutely out of touch they are and that they really should have thought twice before bringing this motion to the House of Representatives.

Under Prime Minister Albanese's leadership, we've introduced legislation for cheaper childcare, which has meant 1.26 million families are better off. I know 7½ thousand families in my electorate are better off. We did more in a week, when we introduced the changes and they came into effect, than those opposite did in nine years.

On this side of the House, we know that bulk-billing is the beating heart of Medicare, and of course we actually think Medicare is a really important part of the health system in Australia. That's why our government made the largest investment in bulk-billing in the 40-year history of Medicare, with $3.5 billion invested to triple the incentives that doctors get to bulk-bill children, pensioners and other concession-card holders. On the other hand, the coalition froze the Medicare rebate for six years. Can you believe that? It is just dreadful. That made it more expensive to see a doctor than ever before.

Since 1 September of this year, the cost of medicines for six million Australians has been cut. This means $200 million is back in the pockets of Australians every year. This matters. We lowered the PBS safety net threshold, reduced the price of 2,000 brands of medicine and reduce the maximum copayment to $30. The economic mismanagement of the coalition instead left us with a trillion dollars in debt and not a cent of anything meaningful to show for it.

Our economic plan is a deliberate and direct response to the economic circumstances that were left to us. On this side of the House, we understand that household budgets are tight and that the impacts of cost-of-living pressures and inflation are being felt around kitchen tables across the country. We understand that. We know people are paying more for things they can't do without, and that's why we have a 10-point plan to address the cost-of-living pressures in our community. That's why we're delivering for Australian people. I think most Australians know what a disingenuous motion this is and the Albanese government is the government that is in their corner.

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