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

I think it's important, when we come into the chamber, that we are forthright in our views, but I think it's really important that we actually put the facts on the record. It's not that the government on this side has only just discovered the cost of living. We have been putting forward legislation and policies to help Australian families. We recognise that there has been an increase in the cost of living and the impact of that. But what those opposite failed to tell you is that, when they were in government, their policy was to keep wages low. Since we've come into government, we've raised Australian wages. We've actually ensured that we are doing all that we can, by setting legislative frameworks, to close the disparity in pay between women in the workforce and their male counterparts who do the same job. We have achieved the lowest gender pay gap in this country on record. Unemployment is now at 3.7 per cent. Let's not forget that every single measure that we've put forward—like cheaper medicines, energy relief and 60-day prescriptions; all of those things which have a direct impact on the family budget—have been opposed by those opposite every single time. When it came to cheaper child care, they opposed it.

We are about strengthening Medicare because it's a universal health system that is worth protecting. But the unfortunate thing is that it relies purely and solely on having a Labor government to ensure that those on that side don't erode it. We have given more relief to GPs so more people can get to see their GP. Those on that side have no credibility when it comes to the economy. They sing their own praises but, in the last budget, it was a Labor government which brought in the first surplus for so very long. Those opposite kept promising a surplus when they were in government for 10 years but they failed to deliver it.

The good senator before me talked about tax cuts. You show me an Australian who is not getting a bigger tax cut that is opposed to the changes that we made? We did that after close consideration of the economic circumstances, the interest rates and the cost-of-living crisis. We are actually giving more Australians a bigger tax cut. We believe that, when you work hard, you should keep more of your pay. But those opposite are not happy. They wanted to maintain the Scott Morrison tax cuts, which only gave the big increase to the big end of town, to politicians and high-income earners. We are about supporting aspirational voters, aspirational families who are trying to get ahead. That is who we are prepared to deliver our tax cuts to.

Let's turn to another issue. It amazes me why those on that side want to play politics with religion and religious discrimination. Why can't they come to the table and ensure that we have legislation that is going to be bipartisan? Why do they always have to try and take political mileage out of something that is fundamentally so important to Australians? No Australian should be discriminated against because of their faith or their religious beliefs. Here on this side, as a Christian, I feel very comfortable in the Labor Party because we are about ensuring that there's no discrimination in this country, whether it is on the basis of your colour, your nationality, your religious beliefs, your sexuality, your disability or, very importantly, your age. That is what we believe in but we are always happy to work with the opposition, but, when it suits them, they are very quick to get into bed with the Greens and take political mileage out of something that is fundamental to our community. It's a disgrace.

We will come in here and debate with you every single day to ensure that the facts are put on the table, that we as a government have delivered on our election promises. I'm going to run out of time without talking about veterans' affairs. (Time expired)