Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Polley, for that question and, again, for your ongoing interest in all matters relating to cost-of-living pressures, how we can reduce cost-of-living pressures on families and, particularly—and I know this is a significant issue in Tasmania right now—around the delivery of health services. The health workforce, of course, is such an important workforce as we grow the care economy in this country. From 1 July Labor will deliver every healthcare worker in the country a tax cut to help with the cost of living. A nurse in Western Sydney who is earning $76,000 will receive a tax cut of over $1,500. A hospital cleaner in Adelaide who is earning $59,000 will get a tax cut of over $1,000—$1,154. A physio in Melbourne's north who is earning $110,000 will get a tax cut of $2,400. A podiatrist in the NT who is earning $87,000 will get a tax cut of $1,854. And guess what? Their patients—indeed, every taxpayer—will get a tax cut, too.

We want Australians to earn more and keep more of what they earn. And we know what those opposite want. They want them to work harder for less. That's what's guiding their policy. That's why they're going back to the drawing board on the tax cuts. We know we can't trust them on tax, we can't trust them on services. We're supporting healthcare workers through the urgent care clinics, through the work that's being done there to provide out-of-hours care free of charge. We know this has been a huge success for kids under 15. We know this is an area that's going to contribute so much to the economy but, more importantly, so much to people who need access to health care that's affordable and accessible in their local areas.