ADJOURNMENT

Ms COKER (Corangamite) (19:45): Tomorrow is not just the beginning of a new financial year; it is another significant milestone in the Albanese government's ambitious reform agenda because 1 July brings with it real change for millions of Australians. It will mean more money in the pockets of Australians, more support for Australian families, and more economic and job security.

For new parents, tomorrow marks another major expansion of paid parental leave. Eligible families welcoming a new baby or adopting a child will now be able to access up to 26 weeks of government funded paid parental leave. That means more time at home with the newborn and less financial pressure during one of life's biggest milestones.

Families accessing the full entitlement will receive about $30,000 in support. Parents receiving paid parental leave will also receive a higher weekly payment of more than $1,000. Tomorrow is also another important step in improving women's economic security.

In groundbreaking reform, parents will receive superannuation contributions while on paid parental leave, helping to build their superannuation savings. For too long, women have retired with significantly less superannuation than men, in large part because they stepped away from paid work to raise children. This reform recognises something that women have always known: caring has value.

Raising children is valuable work, and parents should not be financially worse off in retirement because they chose to give their child the best possible start in life. Tomorrow also brings welcome cost-of-living relief for millions of Australians. Every Australian worker will receive another tax cut.

Workers on the national minimum wage will benefit from a six per cent pay increase, and workers on award wages will also see their pay rise. Millions of Australians receiving government payments will benefit from indexation, helping people keep pace with the cost of living, and more than 1.2 million families will receive higher family tax benefit payments to help with the cost of raising children.

I know that for many families every dollar counts. Whether it's paying the electricity bill, buying school uniforms or covering the weekly grocery shop, these changes will make a real difference. In another first, we will reach another significant milestone for Australian consumers.

For too long, Australians have been watching supermarket prices climb while wondering whether they were paying more than what they should. It's frustrating and stressful for those on a tight budget. So, from tomorrow, we are making it illegal for the largest supermarkets to charge excessive prices beyond the cost of supply and a reasonable margin.

These are tough new laws. They give the ACCC real enforcement powers and significant penalties for businesses that do the wrong thing. Australians deserve the confidence to know they're getting a fair deal when they walk through the supermarket doors.

Tomorrow will also bring new and expanded access to 10 life-changing medicines through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Australians living with conditions including cancer, severe asthma, diabetes and other serious illnesses will have access to medicines that would otherwise cost thousands of dollars. For many people, that means the difference between hoping they can afford treatment and knowing they can.

It's another reminder of why the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and Medicare remain among Australia's greatest achievements and why the Albanese government continues to strengthen them, and Medicare urgent care clinics will now be a permanent feature of our health system. People across our region are really embracing the urgent care clinic in Torquay. It's making a real difference and delivering better health outcomes for so many locals.

Tomorrow also marks the biggest reform in Australia's veterans support system in generations. A new single compensation and rehabilitation claim system will simplify support for veterans making new claims with the Department of Veterans' Affairs. It's another important step in ensuring that those who have served our country and the families who support them receive the care and support they need.

In closing, these reforms represent government delivering on an ambitious reform agenda to improve people's lives. Tomorrow is more than the start of a new financial year; it's another step to a fairer, better Australia.