STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

Ms URQUHART (Braddon) (13:50): The Albanese Labor government's landmark tax reforms mean Australians will be able to earn more and keep more of what they earn, and more people will be able to buy their own homes. Our reforms go to the heart of what Labor governments are about: fairness, opportunity and making sure the next generation, like the ones in the gallery up there, get a fair go.

We've also seen what the opposition is about: running a protection racket for vested interests and leaving ordinary Australians behind. As the party of working Australians, Labor is cutting income tax five times in three different ways. We've already brought tax rates down and pushed thresholds up.

Another tax cut was done on 1 July this year, and another will happen on 1 July next year. This, together with the tax relief in today's bill, means the average Australian worker will receive a combined benefit of around $2,800 in 2028. We're also helping first home buyers achieve the dream of homeownership.

In my electorate of Braddon, I hear every day from people who want to buy their own homes but have been locked out of the market. For too long, the tax system designed by the Liberals has driven property prices beyond the reach of ordinary Australians. Our reforms remove the distortions in the system that have warped our housing market.

This means 75,000 more first home owners will enter the housing market over the next 10 years. Labor's reforms are about rewarding hard work, strengthening opportunity and building a fairer future for all Australians.