Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I don't think those on the other side heard anything that Senator Gallagher said in her answers today. She did say that our budget included $40 billion worth of savings across October and May. That's $40 billion. She also said very, very clearly that we understand that the rising cost of living is hitting a lot of Australians hard. We recognise that, and we are doing something about it. Our economic plan is carefully calibrated to take pressure off the cost of living, rather than add to it. There were $40 billion worth of savings in the last budget. Our government's cost-of-living package provides assistance with rent, assistance with energy bills, cheaper child care and cheaper medicines. Those are things that everyday Australians utilise and need assistance with. Much of that is now being rolled out. Those benefits will continue to flow for the next few months. Over the next weeks and months they will continue to flow out. Our policies to ease the cost-of-living pressures are expected to directly reduce inflation by three-quarters of a percentage point in 2023-24. We know that inflation is still higher than we would like it to be, but it's down from where it would have been and we're making a meaningful difference to families right around this country.

The coalition, those on the other side, oversaw a decade of wasted opportunities and warped priorities. That left Australians living with falling real wages, rising cost-of-living pressures and trillions of dollars of debt, without an economic dividend to show at all. They have the gall to stand up here and say we are doing nothing about it. On the other side, they voted for higher energy bills for millions of households and small businesses. They want more expensive medicines. They had the opportunity a few years ago to lower the cost of medicines, but what did they do? They turned their backs on Australians, so Australians have been paying a lot more for quite a few years. They won't support more affordable housing for Australians.

We are investing $3.5 billion to triple the bulk-billing incentive for the most common GP consultations for children under 16 and Commonwealth concession card holders. That will support 11.6 million eligible Australians to access a GP with no out-of-pocket costs, yet those opposite say we are not doing anything. It is the largest investment in bulk-billing incentives ever, making it cheaper and easier for Australians who are eligible to see a doctor.

We are reducing the cost of medicines by up to half for at least six million Australians. Six million Australians will be better off because they have their medicine costs reduced. Some patients will be able to receive two months' worth of their medicines per visit to their pharmacy, saving $1.6 billion in out-of-pocket costs over four years. That is not doing nothing; that's actually helping people with their cost of living. Up to $3 billion of electricity bill relief through the Energy Bill Relief Fund will take pressure off households and small businesses in partnership with state and territory governments.

The housing minister and I met with some business representatives on the coast of North West Tasmania last week. It was very strange sitting in a room with chambers of commerce and industry congratulating our government on the assistance that we are giving small business in energy relief and in a whole range of other incentives that we have provided for them. There were congratulations for what we are doing for them and also for what we are doing for the cost of living for ordinary Australians. Those on the other side want to sit there and have a go at us, but, I tell you what, the people out there that I talk to—yes, they are doing it tough—recognise that we are doing what we can within a budget to make the cost of living better for them.