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

Tonight, as a Labor government, we have handed down our fourth budget. This is a responsible budget that helps with the cost of living and, most importantly, builds Australia's future. This budget builds on the progress we've made over the first three years. Inflation is down, incomes are rising, unemployment is low and interest rates are coming down. Debt is down and growth is picking up with momentum. We've come a long way since we took over the government benches, but there is so much more to do.

We've been cleaning up the mess that those opposite left Australia with when they were voted out of office. Our responsible budget helps Australians now and will help build the future in five key ways. We're delivering cost-of-living relief with two new tax cuts, another $150 energy bill rebate and cheaper medicines. We're strengthening Medicare, which is part of our DNA, with more than 50 new urgent care clinics where all you need is your Medicare card, we're giving more funding for public hospitals and we're increasing bulk-billing so that all Australians can see a GP for free.

We're making it easier to buy and rent a home with an expansion of the Help to Buy scheme, building more homes faster and incentivising the training of more construction workers. We're investing in every stage of education, with more funding with public schools to put them on a path to full and fair funding. We're expanding access to early education and care for our most vulnerable and most precious little people. We're cutting student debt and offering 100,000 free TAFE places every year.

We're building a stronger economy with competition policy reforms like progressing national licensing for electrical trades—what an amazing opportunity for young Australians! We're reforming non-compete clauses, investing in jobs of the future and increasing support for small businesses—unlike those opposite who failed Australians! They neglected to build the houses that Australians need. They neglected to support our young people and families to have a home. They abandoned skills and didn't encourage further training in this country. We have priorities that Australians need, and we put Australians first and foremost at every opportunity. I am so proud to be a Labor senator and to be there tonight to witness the budget that was brought down by Jim Chalmers.

In our first two years we posted back-to-back surpluses. It had been nearly two decades since that was last achieved. That is what we did when we came to office. The myth that the Liberals and Nationals are better economic managers has been shown to be totally untrue, because we put people first. We believe in Medicare because it's in our DNA. We believe a country that makes and manufactures things here at home will make a prosperous Australia. We actually believe that, unlike those opposite. It's in their DNA. They don't believe in Medicare. They don't believe in universal health, but we do. So this budget will have an enormous impact on my home state of Tasmania. We have seen the changes that have been brought about with the tax cuts that we have delivered.

Let's not forget that it is those opposite who voted against every cost-of-living measure we have introduced since being in government, but all of a sudden Peter Dutton has seen the light and is now starting to say, 'I will support this.' The Australian people are not that naive. They see Mr Dutton for who he really is—the worst ever health minister of this country. That doesn't say much when people are concerned about health and having access to their GPs. He was the one who wanted to have the GP tax.

I think it's going to be a very interesting couple of months going forward, because I have a lot more faith in the Australian people being able to differentiate between us and those who left an economic mess, who neglected the Australian people, who did nothing to ensure that people have the opportunity to have a house and to be skilled, and who did nothing to invest in manufacturing. They were the government that allowed the car industry to leave this country. They did nothing about investing in manufacturing, and they will be judged accordingly. (Time expired)