Jodie Belyea (Dunkley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The Albanese government knows that many families in Australia are doing it tough and that cost of living is front and centre in their minds. During the Dunkley by-election campaign, I heard from a young woman in Carrum Downs who was training to be an early childhood educator. Her rent had increased substantially, and she and her partner were selling household items in order to pay the rent. The Albanese government has those people who are struggling with the cost of living in mind and delivered a budget to support them. Just over a week ago, we announced a $325 energy rebate and a $300 per week practical placement payment for students studying midwifery, nursing, teaching and social work. We also worked on, and delivered, the elimination of a $3 billion HECS debt, and 18,000 people from Dunkley will benefit from that change. This budget also delivers a 10 per cent increase to Commonwealth rent assistance, benefiting close to one million households across Australia and nearly 7,000 households in Dunkley.

The government is also investing about $4 million to deliver cheaper medicines to ease pressure on household budgets. Patients who have a concession card or who are on a pension are set to save even more thanks to our freeze on the maximum cost of PBS medication at $7.70 per prescription. We are also working to strengthen Medicare, investing $2.8 billion by providing an additional 29 Medicare urgent care clinics. The Frankston clinic is open from eight until 10 o'clock Monday to Sunday and provides free, high-quality care for patients with non-life-threatening injuries and illness. All you need is your Medicare card. In addition to this, we have more free mental health services, higher Medicare rebates for common medical tests and a women's health package worth over $160 million, with new initiatives focusing on endometriosis, pain, and supporting women and families after a miscarriage. We also passed reforms on paid parental leave, ensuring that, from 1 July, Australian families will be better off. By 2026, every family with a new baby will be able to access a total of six months paid leave, shared between the two parents.

Housing is obviously a big issue across the country. In Dunkley, 59.5 per cent of household families are low-income families. To work to address this, the government has invested significant funding in the construction of new homes. The policies and funding are focused on increasing supply, supply and supply, ensuring more Australians have a roof over their head and aren't sleeping rough, particularly women impacted by domestic and family violence. To support women to leave relationships where there is domestic and family violence, a $5,000 escaping family violence payment has been locked in, with support to referral services, risk assessments and safety planning being part of the strategy. Further, the Albanese government has legislated 10 days paid family and domestic violence leave, increased rent assistance with the largest increase in 30 years, and invested in crisis accommodation and affordable housing for women and children escaping violence. In addition to this, the eligibility for parenting payments has been expanded, helping 82,000 more single parents remain on higher payments until their youngest child turns 14. There has been $6 billion in new measures announced by the Treasurer and the Minister for Housing to build more homes and support Australians, bringing our government's new housing initiatives over the next decade to more than $30 billion.

Just last Saturday, I was talking to Tony from Frankston. He spoke to me about the reality. He and his wife are both working. They are renting in the local area, having had to move from the Mornington Peninsula due to the increase in rental prices. He mentioned that, despite both him and his wife working, he is likely to have to move again and out of the area in the next 12 months. He is nervous about homelessness, due to the increasing cost of rent and the lack of housing supply. The Help to Buy scheme will support 40,000 Australian households to purchase a new or existing home with an equity contribution from the government. This sort of investment in housing, an investment the previous government neglected for over 10 years, is what the Labor government is going to do to support people like Tony.

While on prepoll, I spoke to many families with teenagers who were keen for their children to get a great education however concerned about the cost of university and HECS fees. At the time, I was able to share with them the information on the fee-free TAFE program that could support their children to access courses at Chisholm and other TAFE colleges in the south-east. This initiative has offered over 355 fee-free TAFE places in 2023. I am thrilled to announce this funding has been expanded and will offer an additional 300,000 places across 2024-26 for students studying in areas of priority skills. In addition to this, apprentices in priority occupations will be eligible for an incentive of $5,000 to assist with cost-of-living pressures and to support them to finish their training.

Two thousand apprentices will be working towards a nationally recognised qualification in Dunkley. To support businesses with employers taking on apprentices in priority occupations, we will also provide an incentive of $5,000. This means more opportunities for secure, well-paid work and more skilled workers in the construction and housing workforce that can build more homes in communities like Dunkley. This government wants to ensure that, no matter what, no matter where you come from, whether it's Frankston, Carrum Downs, Langwarrin, Mount Eliza, Seaford or Frankston North, you get a fair go and you can purchase a house of your choosing, close to your place of work, and don't have to spend hours commuting.

This is an aspirational budget that is focused on supporting people that are struggling now and setting this country and its people up for the future. My colleagues and I are determined to make the lives of those we represent in our communities, like Dunkley, better now and into the future. This budget reflects this vision. It reflects that the Albanese government is listening. We are acting on the issues that are most important now, and we are planning for the future. This budget is better for families, better for young people, better for women, better for Dunkley, better for the nation. The budget invests in building back for a better future so everyone can get ahead and no-one is left behind.

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