Dan Repacholi (Hunter, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

We're not even two years into the Albanese Labor government, yet we are making huge progress in cleaning up the mess left behind by nine years of waste and neglect by those opposite. We are making huge progress putting this country back on the right track, and even though we are cleaning up their mess, the coalition have been no help to us at all. In fact, they have actively stood in the way of our efforts again and again, voting no on important government actions that are easing the cost-of-living burden and improving the quality of life for everyday Australians. They voted no to the cost-of-living tax cuts for every Australian taxpayer. They voted no to a bigger tax cut for more workers. The Labor government wants workers to earn more and keep more of what they earn. Instead, the Liberals and Nationals want workers to work longer hours for less. They voted no to cheaper medicines. They voted no to energy bill relief. When it comes to the cost of living, the coalition becomes the 'no-alition'. They always say no. But we're getting on with it anyway. On top of our cost-of-living tax cuts, we're rolling out billions in cost-of-living relief, including rent assistance, energy rebates, cheaper medicines, income support, Medicare bulk-billing incentives and much more. We are getting on with it because we understand families' budgets are tight right now and that the impact of cost-of-living pressures and inflation are being felt around the country.

We are a government that is in touch and is listening. I'd hate to imagine how much harder things would be for Australians if the coalition's reign of waste and neglect had continued. Thankfully, the Australian people put the adults in charge. We have taken the responsibility of cleaning up and rebuilding our country seriously. We have focused on making life better for Australians, and our efforts are bearing fruit every day. Just this morning, the Australian Energy Regulator released its draft default market offer for electricity prices for the next financial year, 2024-25. The new default market offer will see electricity price reductions all over Australia. Under our leadership, energy prices are stabilising and trending downwards. This is big news for my electorate—the draft default market offer sees electricity prices falling up to 6.7 per cent for residential customers in the Hunter. There is even bigger news for small businesses in my electorate, with planned falls in electricity prices of up to 13 per cent for business customers. These forecast electricity price falls will make a difference for families right across Australia, and especially so for families in the Hunter. These forecast falls in electricity prices are a result of clear economic leadership from the Albanese Labor government. Under those opposite we had a decade of coalition infighting, which completely undermined much-needed investment in our new energy production.

This government, a united team, have given investors certainty, clearing the way for much-needed investment in our energy market. Under the Labor government renewable energy production is booming and upgrades to our energy transmission networks are under way that will set up our country the right way into the future.

But we did not just sit around waiting for prices to come down. Unlike those opposite, who are out of touch, on the side of the House we listen to Australians. We understand that people are doing it tough. We're here to do something about it. When capacity prices rose, we provided energy price relief to around five million households and small businesses across Australia. This direct relief, combined with coal and gas price caps, offset energy price rises for so many Australians. Now that prices are stabilising and heading in the right direction, things will be better going into the future.

Speaking of the future, we are two years into cleaning up the nine years of waste by the coalition. But we have much more to do. We will continue to do everything we can to help Australian families, to help small businesses. We will keep supporting Australians without contributing to inflation. We will keep real wages growing. We will keep the economy moving. We will keep the budget in good shape, unlike those opposite. We will keep creating more secure and well paid jobs, unlike those opposite. We are just getting started. We have so much more to do in this space, and I look forward to what's to come.

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