Gordon Reid (Robertson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am never disappointed by the performances of the member for Riverina, but what I want to tell this chamber here today is that the federal Labor government is helping to ease the cost of living and improve the living standards of Australians right across the country but, in particular, in my home electorate of Robertson. This is in stark comparison to that group of people on the other side of this chamber that claim to represent Australians. They continue to fail the Australian people. They continue to fail them because they continue to fail to isolate what causes and issues people are talking about on the ground. What I would say to the member for Hume if he were still in the chamber, because this is his matter of public importance, is that maybe he should get out and doorknock and talk to his constituents. I'm glad the member for Riverina talks to his constituents. I know everyone on this side of the chamber does. But it would appear that the member for Hume is simply incapable of talking to his constituents and finding out what is happening on the ground.

If those opposite were talking to real people rather than just watching the 24-hour news cycle over and over again, they would understand our cost-of-living measures are actually making a real difference to Australians in communities from the east coast to the west coast, to the Territory in the north and down south to Tasmania. I am proud to be part of a federal Labor government that has delivered on a broad range of cost-of-living measures that are bringing relief to Australians right now.

Let's talk about the tripling of the bulk-billing incentive. That is going to help over 73,000 people in my electorate alone. People in Robertson can see a bulk-billed doctor on the Central Coast. That's over 200,000 people that can get access to primary care instead of going into the emergency department and seeing me in the middle of the night. There are so many other areas where our cost-of-living measure are making a real difference for Australians. This month we will be opening the Robertson Medicare urgent care clinic, which will see patients with non-life-threatening but urgent conditions, taking pressure off our emergency departments, taking pressure off our GPs and making sure people can get the health care they need and the health care they deserve. The Peninsula Medicare Urgent Care Clinic will ease that pressure. People will be able to see a doctor when they are sick. All that you are going to need when you walk through the door with that problem is your Medicare card—not your credit card, your Medicare card. Making it easier to see a doctor is bringing real relief. That is raising the standard of living for Australian families in my community.

The Albanese Labor government has delivered and committed to improving general practice in other ways through our Strengthening Medicare grants as well, which will have follow-on effects for families in Robertson but also right across the country. Those general practice grants have assisted our doctors and nurses in primary care on the Central Coast to the tune of over $1 million. I am ecstatic that 38 practices in my electorate are going to benefit from this investment. We are looking at upgrades to IT. We are looking at upgrades to their practices and making sure that patients can get the care that they need.

Just the other week I was fortunate to have the Hon. Chris Bowen, the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, visit my electorate. He helped me officially switch on the Narara community battery, the second community battery to be switched on in Australia. This important achievement marked a significant turning point for people living on the Central Coast and for our renewable energy policies. It means eligible people living in Narara with solar panels can now store excess solar electricity in that community battery. This electricity can now be used during the night-time and by others in the community who may not have the ability to have solar panels on their rooftops. This community battery does many things. It helps the local electricity grid, it helps reduce our carbon emissions and it helps reduce the cost of electricity for eligible households.

The federal government is also delivering energy bill relief in the form of energy rebates quarterly to eligible low-income households, including pensioners, families and carers. That's something that the opposition voted against. With every single form of cost-of-living relief we have put forward to this parliament, they continue to vote against it. It is absolutely shameful that they continue with this behaviour. On this side of the chamber, we are looking after Australians right across this country.

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