Jerome Laxale (Bennelong, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's an election year, and soon voters' minds will start to focus on the choice they face. Let's do a little compare and contrast. The Liberals opposed our tax cuts for every Australian. They voted against energy rebates for homes and small businesses. They opposed cheaper medicines and cheaper child care. They blocked and voted against action on housing and they opposed free TAFE and cuts to student debt. That's just in the last three years. What's next? Their slogan is 'Back on track'. Back to what? Back to secret ministries, rising inflation and deficit after deficit after deficit. Back to frozen Medicare rebates, cuts to hospitals and a GP tax. Back to no action on housing and a denial of climate change.

That's not what Bennelong voted for. We deserve better than going back. We deserve a government that listens and acts. It is Labor that has delivered cost-of-living relief, back-to-back surpluses and more than halved inflation. It is Labor that is investing in urgent care clinics and delivering cheaper medicines. It's Labor that's investing $32 billion to boost housing supply and it is Labor that is backing students with free TAFE and will also wipe 20 per cent off all student debt.

There will be a choice at this election, and in Bennelong that choice has to be Labor.