Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am delighted to make a contribution to this debate. If you listened to the contributions from senators on the other side of the chamber, you will have heard them rewrite history. And if you listened to Senator McKim's contribution you will understand why the Greens will never have to be accountable. They'll never be a government of the day to deliver anything—and thank goodness. What I want to put on the public record is this: 'The IMF concludes that fiscal policy and monetary policy are working together to address inflationary pressures.' That's what they've said about the Albanese Labor government.

We know that inflation is a big issue in the cost of living. But every time those on the other side have had the opportunity to support legislation to help Australians deal with the cost of living, what have they done? They've voted against that legislation. Of course we want inflation to come down. Of course we want interest rates to come down. That's why we're doing what we can, taking responsibility as a government, to help Australians get through this crisis. We've invested $23 billion in cost-of-living relief, and that's actually working. If you went out and talked to everyday Australians, Mr Acting Deputy President, you would understand that that $23 billion in electricity bill relief has meant something to people. Cheaper child care is having a huge impact in my home state of Tasmania. We've increased rental assistance—the biggest increase for 30 years. Hello, senators over there. What did you do when you were in government? You did zilch when it came to rental assistance.

We have done more in terms of reducing the cost of medicines. We brought in the 60-day prescription. The former government in 2018 had the same proposition put to them, but they weren't prepared to do it. We've done it because we know that it's going to help those people who rely on regular medication and reduce their costs. It will also reduce the impact on GPs; the people won't have to run to see their GP as often to get their regular medication.

We've invested in fee-free TAFE. What did they do over the 10 years that they were in government? This is not blaming them. This is about putting on the public record the reality, and that is that you ran TAFE into the ground. You did not invest in any training or skills in this country. You allowed company after company to leave this country and go overseas. That's what you oversaw. You oversaw the car industry folding. That's what you did when you were in government.

We have invested into the housing crisis in this country. What did they do with the $10 billion Future Fund? How did they go about supporting that legislation? They didn't; they voted against it time and time again, because, quite frankly, they do not care about people who are doing it tough in this country. They don't care about providing affordable and social housing for the most disadvantaged people in this community.

We had a senator come into this chamber today, saying: 'Woe is me. We should not be demanding that we have 24/7 nurses in aged care.' They were in government for 10 years and they ran aged care in this country into the ground. That's what they did year after year. And what did Mr Dutton do when he was Minister for Health? He took a billion dollars out of the health budget. The reality is—