Jana Stewart (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Our government is supporting Australians with bread-and-butter cost-of-living pressures, making life easier for families and supporting the economy to grow. We know Australians are doing it tough. The Albanese Labor government are focused on actually delivering for Australians. We are not being demure about our plans to provide cost-of-living relief for all Australians. We are being mindful in how we manage the economy. There's no quick fix for the high global cost-of-living, but the Albanese Labor government's No. 1 priority is helping take some of the pressure off you and your family.

We're delivering energy bill relief. While the opposition continue whiteboarding their economic plan and playing games, the Albanese Labor government is providing $300 in energy bill relief to every household and transforming Australia into a renewable energy superpower. We're continuing to deliver on Labor's energy bill relief plan, with $3½ billion in relief, for every household, including those in the Mallee, in the Goulburn Valley, in Hume and in Melbourne's east. All households will see a $300 credit automatically applied to their electricity bills in this financial year, and around one million small businesses will receive $325 off their bills over 2024 and 2025.

We are delivering a tax cut for every Australian taxpayer, including a whopping 3½ million taxpayers in Victoria. We are delivering a wage increase for early-years childcare workers. The opposition argue that they are the champions of higher wages for all Australians; however, on 8 August on ABC RN Breakfast, shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor stopped short of supporting the Labor's government's 15 per cent wage increase for early-years childcare workers. Since those opposite were unable to do the maths or explain their rationale, let me do it for you. The rate of inflation is 3.8 per cent. The wage increase is 15 per cent. The result is the Albanese Labor government delivering real, higher wages for early-years workers.

We're also building more homes for Australians, with more social and affordable housing, more infrastructure, increased removal of red tape, better transport for more accessible cities and increased housing for students. This $6.2 billion boost in the budget takes the Albanese government's total housing investment to a whopping $32 billion. We are cutting student debt for more than three million students and wiping around $3 billion in student debt. To do this, we're introducing HELP loan credits for people impacted by the recent inflation spike. We're making sure that, in the future, student debt never grows faster than someone's ability to pay it off. This means we're improving the way indexation is calculated and making sure last year's indexation spike cannot happen again.

We're also establishing a Commonwealth Prac Payment to support around 68,000 eligible higher education students and over 5,000 VET students each year when they undertake mandatory work placements required for their course. This payment will provide $319.50 per week to students in teaching, nursing, midwifery and social work during their clinical and professional placement periods, with the majority of students and workers in these critical fields being women. As someone who has worked in the social services sector, I know how much heart and compassion comes from the people who work in this sector, and I'm sure they will be absolutely stoked that they are being paid on their placements.

The Albanese Labor government is investing in new jobs and opportunities in every part of our country, including communities in Victoria. Making our future here in Australia is about making the most of our nation's potential and making sure everyone shares in the benefits. Our Future Made in Australia plan will maximise the economic and industrial benefits of the international move to net zero and secure Australia's place in the changing global economic and strategic landscape. The 2024-25 budget will invest $22.7 billion over a decade to help Australia succeed and remain an indispensable part of the global economy.