Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026
Ms JARRETT (Brisbane) (10:58): I think it's a bit rough, being lectured by those opposite on how to run a budget and an economy for the people! But let's remind you all that in 2022 the government inherited an economy riddled with deficit and trillions of dollars in LNP debt, all wrapped up in waste and rorts. This government has worked hard to turn the economy around.
In our first term, we stabilised and strengthened the economy and got inflation down. Now, wages are up, unemployment is low, and the budget is moving forward positively. But the work doesn't stop there, because we know that people are still doing it tough.
And Labor is delivering a budget for people. We're delivering what we said we would. Here are a few examples: the national minimum wage and award wage increases of 3½ per cent; paid parental leave increasing to 24 weeks; another $150 in energy bill relief; and—one of my favourites—cutting 20 per cent off student loan debts for three million Australians, many of whom live in Brisbane.
This also comes on top of—let's not forget—the tax cuts last year and more that are on the way. But more is being done to help people with the cost of living and to improve living standards—first, in housing. Everyone should have a safe place they call home.
The challenges we face here are very complex, but that's why Labor is making the single biggest investment in housing since World War II: $43 billion across the board. Part of that includes the five per cent deposit scheme, which last week was made available to all first home buyers. Second, there's health and mental health.
On this side of the House, we believe access to affordable health care is a right not a privilege. That's why the government is making record investments in Medicare and health. Fifty Medicare urgent care clinics will open throughout the rest of the year, and bulk-billing is expanding.
I'm really pleased to say that the new Medicare urgent care clinic for Brisbane's inner north is open for tender. That may even have closed by now, but we're hoping to see that start up early next year. It means that many people, including young people who are putting off seeing a doctor because of the cost, can now go and get the care that they need.
Third, let's look at women and what the government has been doing to support the livelihoods of women across the country. It has been closing the gender pay gap. There have been record investments in women's health, including in contraceptives, menopausal hormonal therapies, endometriosis et cetera.
These are now much more affordable. Let's not forget cheaper child care. While the coalition focus on themselves and pretend that they know how to run a budget, we remain laser focused on delivering for all Australians.
The Labor government is working every day to deliver for Australians. We're helping people earn more and to keep more of what they earn, and we're helping to improve living standards across Australia. We've got something to be proud of.