Alicia Payne (Canberra, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Women. How is the Albanese Labor government delivering for women?

Linda Burney (Barton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Indigenous Australians) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Canberra for her question. Hello to all the students up there that we had breakfast with together this morning. I really hope you're enjoying your stay and enjoying question time.

The Albanese Labor government believes in women, and the budget last night absolutely proved the respect we have for equity, for diversity and for fairness. There will be cheaper child care. In fact, there will be $4.7 billion of cheaper child care, which will make child care more affordable for 97 per cent of Australian families. We've expanded the Paid Parental Leave scheme to 26 weeks and it also applies to single-parent families, and that is an extraordinary contribution to the life of families in this country and, in particular, to the participation of women in the workforce. And we will provide greater flexibility for families to ensure that the paid parental leave system works in ways that are best for them. It's not up to government to decide that; it's up to families to work out the ways that are best for them. We are going to invest $1.7 billion in women's safety initiatives, including $170 million for 500 frontline community workers to support women and children experiencing domestic violence. I know that the Leader of the Opposition has a particular interest in this cause, and I respect him for that.

These are all policies in our first budget that are good for women, good for families and good for our economy. Australia should not rank 43rd out of 146 countries in the World Economic Forum global gender gap index. That is shameful, and we need to move that. We have a gender pay gap of 14 per cent in this country, and we know absolutely that gender equality is a key factor behind the issue of gender based violence. The tragic stories that we all saw on Four Corners earlier in the week absolutely underscore this terrible inequity. That's why we'll develop a standalone First Nations national plan to tackle gender based violence for Indigenous women, and that will be led by the work of Minister Rishworth, in terms of her responsibility. I am absolutely proud to be part of this government.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

on indulgence—I want to join in acknowledging the very important comments made by the minister, firstly, in welcoming the students who are here today. A very important part of our process here is to welcome students and to involve them in workings of the parliament. That's very important.

On the substantive issue that the minister raised, there is a bipartisan position of support for all these issues. There is no tolerance in our country whatsoever for violence or discrimination against women, or on the basis of gender, at all. The mental health impacts of COVID and the surge in domestic violence that took place resulted in us putting additional program funding in place. Many of those programs have been continued by the government in this budget, and we commend them for that. We have made comments of support as well for the work to increase participation, and around PPL. On behalf of the coalition, we commend the government for that work within the budget.

I might say to the minister, particularly on the work that needs to take place in Alice Springs, that I was there last week and it is a national tragedy that cannot be allowed to continue. For young women, for young girls and for elders—the women that we spoke to in community were equally horrified as any Australian is. We absolutely stand shoulder to shoulder, and I've spoken with the Prime Minister about what more we can do to address this scourge in society. I'm very pleased to be able to lend support and words of support to the minister's very worthy remarks.

Angus Taylor (Hume, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. A short time ago, the Treasurer was asked whether Australians can expect $275 off their power bills. He said: 'Yep. It's in the budget.' Page 57 of the budget says that prices will increase by 20 per cent this year and 30 per cent next year. What page refers to a reduction of $275?

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The shadow Treasurer was heard in silence. I wish to hear the Treasurer in silence.

Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm pleased to get this question from the shadow Treasurer, for two reasons. First of all is that it gives me the opportunity to explain to the House—and explain to the relevant journalist who asked me the question—that I misheard the question at the National Press Club.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on my left will cease interjecting.

Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was temporarily blinded by the vast influence of Charles Croucher, who has inherited this remarkable position of power in this building from Laurie Oakes and Chris Uhlmann! I say, as I said to Charles when I rang him straight after the Press Club—I rang Charles and I rang Laura Tingle—that I thought he was asking me a different question. I misheard it, and I answered a different question. So I say again to Charles, who is in the gallery—through you, Mr Speaker—that I misheard his question. And I am genuinely grateful—for once!—to the member for Hume for the opportunity to talk about this.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Hume will cease interjecting.

Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The other reason that I am genuinely delighted to get this question from the member for Hume on energy prices is—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Treasurer will resume his seat. The Treasurer is not halfway through his answer, but I will hear from the member for Petrie.

Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, it's on relevance. It's been one minute and 17 seconds. How long is the preamble that he gets?

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Treasurer is referring directly to what he was asked about. That is not a point of order.

Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I reassure the member for Petrie that my answer is not going to be about the shadow Treasurer's history of doctoring documents. My answer is going to be about energy prices. He asked me about energy prices.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Groom will cease interjecting.

Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I pay tribute to the opposition tactics committee, who decided, on today of all days, that the matter of public importance today will be the shadow Treasurer talking about energy prices. When I got given this by my office, I couldn't believe my eyes. The guy who has his fingerprints all over this energy policy chaos that we've inherited, the guy who was more responsible than anyone else in this building for the fact that we've had this wasted decade which has given us energy policy chaos, has the nerve to ask us a question about energy prices! This is the guy who gave us the wasted decade of missed opportunities, with electricity market chaos, and, now that we've got this war in Ukraine, our energy markets are more vulnerable than they should be because of the rank incompetence of the shadow Treasurer. We've spoken in this place before about the sense of humour that the opposition tactics committee has in giving the shadow Treasurer questions on energy prices. Before, when everybody jumped at the same time to ask a question and, Mr Speaker, you didn't give the call to the shadow Treasurer, the biggest sigh of relief came from over there, because he has got his fingerprints all over this energy policy crisis.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Hume will stop yelling.

Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He hid an energy price increase from the Australia people during the election, and they won't forget it.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Groom has been continually interjecting. He is warned.

Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Health and Aged Care. How will the Albanese Labor government's first budget make medicines cheaper and impact on the lives of Australians?

Mark Butler (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank my friend the member for Moreton for his question, because I know he appreciates that last night the Treasurer delivered a budget that invested $9.9 billion in new health and aged-care measures: measures to strengthen Medicare; measures to restore dignity to aged care, being led by my friend and colleague Minister Wells; measures to cut the cost of medicines; measures to rebuild the health and aged-care workforce; and measures to strengthen First Nations health, beginning the long task of cleaning up the mess that was left to us by the Liberal Party—a job that every modern Labor government has had to do over the last 50 years in the area of health.

A centrepiece of this investment delivered the biggest cut to the cost of medicines in the 75-year history of the PBS, bringing the maximum co-payment for general patients down from $42.50 to just $30, putting $190 million every year back into the pockets of hardworking Australians. This responsible cost-of-living relief could not happen at a better time than this. Leanne wrote to me yesterday and said: 'At the moment, I pay over $150 each and every month for medication I need to be on. Thank you, Albo. This will make a big difference to me.' Lucy, a pharmacist, wrote: 'Thank you for making medicines more affordable. As a pharmacist, it's a difficult conversation to have with patients when they can't afford the treatment that they need.' Janine wrote: 'Thanks, Albo. My family spend a few hundred dollars every month on scripts, and this will definitely make a difference.'

This relief builds on a range of other measures introduced in our short five months in government to cut the cost of medicines and to list new medicines on the PBS. Just a few months ago, in early July, the safety net threshold for pensioners and concession card holders was slashed by 25 per cent, meaning, across the year, those millions of Australians know that they will pay no more than $4.70 every week for all of their medicines needs. Last month, the prices of more than 2,000 individual medicines were cut, putting another $130 million back in the pockets of hardworking Australians. As all members know, today this House again reaffirmed our promise to extend cheaper medicines to more self-funded retirees. Our legislation to extend the seniors health card to more than 50,000 additional self-funded retirees will see their medicines bills plummet. Cutting the cost of medicines is not just good for the hip pocket but also good for the health of millions and millions of Australians. These responsible measures introduced by the Treasurer's budget last night will make a real difference to millions of Australians.