Michelle Ananda-Rajah (Higgins, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The budget, in the finest Labor tradition, was in equal parts heart and head. It was tailor-made for the times, with a suite of measures to provide immediate cost-of-living relief and with an eye on the future. The budget had three main goals: to provide responsible, targeted cost-of-living relief for people of all ages, to lay the foundations for a more future focused economy and to put the budget on a more sustainable footing so that we can support the services Australians rightfully expect.

This budget will take the pressure off Australian families without further adding to inflation; in fact, the measures, according to Treasury forecasts, will help reduce inflation over the medium term. The measures include energy bill relief to over five million households and one million small businesses. We are also helping 170,000 households save on their energy bills by financing home upgrades, like double glazing and the installation of more modern appliances.

One of the most stunning announcements was in the area of health. As a doctor, I was very emotional during this announcement. Tears welled up in my eyes when I heard that we were tripling the bulk-billing incentive for vulnerable Australians. This will include children under the age of 16, pensioners and concession cardholders. This is the largest one-off increase to the bulk-billing incentive ever. I note that in my electorate of Higgins we have the lowest bulk-billing rates in the whole of Victoria—only three bulk-billing clinics.

We are also enabling savings in medicines for up to 33,000 patients in Higgins. From 1 September they will be allowed to have 60 days worth of medicines dispensed, saving themselves up to $180 per script per year. We're also creating eight urgent care clinics in addition to the 50 that have already been announced, and these will bulk-bill. Importantly, we're also starting to repair the safety net, which has been blown to bits after nine years of warped ideology and messed-up priorities.

These modest changes are only one lever of many that we are pulling to address entrenched disadvantage. We will extend income support for single parents by making it available until children are 14, rather than eight. This will affect around 355 parents in Higgins, who are overwhelmingly women.

The better future we are shaping demands a skilled-up nation with its sleeves rolled up. An investment in this budget to boost TAFE spots by an additional 300,000 will help. Check them out!

Against this pro-inflationary backdrop, a steady tempo of reform by the Albanese government is positioning Australia to become more future focused and resilient in facing the challenges and economic shocks that are coming our way in the future.