Tim Watts (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

When we were elected, Prime Minister Albanese he said that under our government no Australian would be held back and no Australian would be left behind. That's why the 2024 federal budget delivers responsible cost-of-living relief for Australians who are under pressure now, while also making the investments we need to take advantage of a future made in Australia. There's no better example of the way that we are doing this than vocational and higher education.

The 2024 budget reduces financial barriers to training and education, while also providing cost-of-living relief to Australians who are studying and upskilling. From July 2025 eligible students will be able to access over $300 per week to help manage the cost of going on practical placements while studying. It's an initiative that invests in our aspiring teachers, nurses, social workers and more. It's an initiative that will deliver a pipeline of frontline health workers and highly trained educators to deliver the health and education services that Australians rely on. It's an initiative that will benefit over 16,000 students in Victoria, including many in my own community in Melbourne's west.

We're also increasing the number of fee-free TAFE courses and increasing financial support available to apprentices in the new energy and construction sectors. We're investing in the workforce that we need for a future made in Australia, investing in the skills that Australians will need to grow the industries of the future in our country—clean energy and the green economy—industries like battery and solar panel manufacturing, green hydrogen production and critical minerals extraction and refining. We're investing in the skills of the tradies that we need to help build more affordable housing and to help get a generation into the housing market, all while directly benefiting some of the 2,400 apprentices in my electorate.

We are also wiping out nearly $3 billion in student debt for university students and graduates and implementing reforms to ensure that student debt never grows faster than your wages. Our student debt changes will deliver cost-of-living relief to over three million Australians, including over 21,000 people in my electorate in Melbourne's west.

Of course, on top of these specific vocational and higher education initiatives, every taxpayer in Melbourne's west will receive a tax cut on 1 July, and every household will receive a $300 energy rebate. The 2024 budget is a Labor budget because it benefits every Australian, not just some Australians and not just now but also in the future. It delivers responsible cost-of-living relief for households who are under pressure in Melbourne's west today, while also making the investments that we need to set us up for the future. We know that there's more to do, though, and I will keep working every day in my community and in this building to keep delivering for all Australians.

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