Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I also rise to contribute to this debate relating to questions asked by coalition senators in question time. In my home state of South Australia, my community are absolutely telling me that they are doing it tough. That is absolutely what we're hearing from people in South Australia. We have had a problem with inflation in this country, and, whilst I'm pleased that inflation is moderating, rising cost-of-living pressures are hurting families in South Australia. As a government we have heard that message loudly and clearly, and that's why our No. 1 focus in government has been to do everything we can to take action to put downward pressure on inflation, because that has an impact ultimately on the cost-of-living pressures that South Australians are feeling every day.

There is no more significant plank to that work than the two surpluses we've delivered—back-to-back surpluses—which have the impact of applying downward pressure on inflation. We're combining that with targeted cost-of-living relief because it's that targeted relief which can provide support for families in my home state of South Australia without adding further to those inflationary pressures, many of which are external to the Australian economy. But, in terms of the things that we can control, the things that we can influence, getting on top of inflation, applying that downward pressure on inflation, is at the top of our priority list.

Those cost-of-living measures have been very targeted. The measures include tax relief for every single worker in Australia, not just some—not just those at the top end of the tax bracket. It's tax relief applied to those in our community who feel inflationary pressures the hardest—who feel cost-of-living pressures the hardest. We've frozen the cost of common medicines because we know that is a significant pressure for Australians in our community. Particularly for those Australians who rely on repeat medicines and repeat prescriptions, that measure will make a real difference.

Of course the cost of housing is a significant pressure, and we are working overtime to get reforms through this place, which are opposed time after time, to influence supply. That's because we know that if we increase supply in the housing market we will have an impact on house prices. We're also doing our darnedest to increase rental supply in this country, not to mention supporting Commonwealth rent assistance recipients with significant and substantial increases to rent assistance, which will benefit one million households.

We've waived $3 billion in student debt for more than three million Australians, and for those students in our community who are undertaking courses which require them to do prac placements we're providing payment for those placements. That's so that cost-of-living pressures, the cost of rent and the cost of bills doesn't stop students in our community from undertaking qualifications in the skills which we know we need, particularly in the caring economy—in nursing, midwifery and other professions—which our economy desperately needs.

We're providing more funding for emergency and food relief and financial support services, and we're extending the freeze on deeming rates for 876,000 income support recipients. On top of this we have $300 in energy bill relief for Australian households and $325 for one million small businesses. All of these measures are specifically targeted to provide relief but not add further inflationary pressure within our economy.

We are doing this because we are hearing South Australians. I hear them. Families are telling me every day that they are struggling with the cost of living and that they are concerned about the price of housing and housing supply in our economy. I think they can see—I hope they can see—that as a government this is our No. 1 priority: applying downward pressure on inflation so we can provide relief for the cost-of-living pressures that we know they are feeling.

Time after time when we've put up these measures that will make a difference in the lives of Australians doing it tough right now, those opposite have walked into this chamber and voted against them. I think that tells you that their claims on this are not sincere. If you were sincerely concerned about what I know your communities are telling you—just like they're telling me, they're feeling pressure at the moment—then you would be doing everything in your power to provide that targeted relief, to support budgets which deliver surplus after surplus. You too would be doing that in support of your community.