Jess Walsh (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The government doesn't need those opposite to tell us that families are hurting with cost of living challenges. We know that the pressure on household budgets is real. We know that petrol prices are putting people under pressure. We know that we're seeing those rising petrol prices as a consequence of a global shortfall, but we know that that doesn't help families deal with the rising price of petrol, and we know that without the assistance of government families in this country would continue to struggle with the rising cost of living.

That's why our government's number one priority has been rolling out $23 billion of cost-of-living relief and cost-of-living support. We've been able to do that in a way that has taken the edge off inflation. We've been able to do that in a way where we can still record the first budget surplus in 15 years. That is the responsible approach to economic management that we are taking. It's the responsible approach we are taking to meeting the cost of living challenges that people are facing.

Those opposite come in here and ask us what we are doing to relieve the cost of living pressures that families are facing. Again, we feel those pressures. We see those pressures. That's why we've rolled out 10 measures just in the last few months to help families with the cost of living. Number 1: energy bill relief. Number 2: cheaper child care. Number 3: rent assistance increases. Number 4: tripling the Medicare bulk billing rate. Number 5: making medicines cheaper. Number 6: boosting income support programs. Number 7: fee-free TAFE. Number 8: building more homes. Number 9: expanding paid parental leave. Number 10: getting wages moving again.

All those opposite can say about the cost of living is that they either oppose those measures—they oppose our energy price relief plans; they oppose cheaper child care; they oppose cheaper medicines; they oppose putting money into social and affordable housing. Or they can say that they did absolutely nothing about these things while they were in government, leaving Australians with nothing more than a trillion dollars of debt and nothing to show for it. Or those opposite can say that they deliberately designed the cost-of-living crisis that Australians are facing today. They deliberately kept wages low; we know that. They froze Medicare; we know that. They gutted TAFE; we know that. Not only that; they went after some of Australia's most vulnerable lowest-income people with their unlawful and unethical robodebt program.

We are very proud to support the Australian people through the cost-of-living challenges that they face. We know that our energy bill relief plans are taking the edge off energy bills. We know that cheaper child care is supporting families with children. We heard this week that people are paying 14 per cent, or $2,000 a year, less if they're on about $120,000 with one child in long day care. That is a huge contribution to a family's budget. We have invested in the biggest boost to rent assistance in 30 years. That is a significant boost to people who are doing it tough and paying rent. We've tripled the bulk-billing rate, and that allows GPs to deliver free consultations for 11 million Australians. We're making medicines cheaper. We know how huge that is—making it cheaper to get necessary medicines like heart medicine and diabetes medicine. We are boosting income support programs—some of the biggest boosts we've seen in decades. Fee-free TAFE is helping people get back into training. We're building more homes, bringing the states and territories together with the federal government in the biggest boost to housing since World War II. We're expanding paid parental leave and getting wages moving again.