MATTERS OF URGENCY
Senator DOLEGA (Tasmania) (15:58): It may come as no surprise that I rise to oppose Senator Cash's motion today and to address the claim that there was a growing pattern of broken promises or false assurances and misleading statements. It simply doesn't stack up, given the Albanese Labor government's record of delivery. Australians judge governments not by slogans or personal attacks but by results.
Since coming to office, the Albanese Labor government has delivered real outcomes that are improving the lives of Australians. From 1 July this year, this government has delivered another tax cut for each and every taxpayer. We've introduced and we've passed our new $1,000 instant tax deduction, introduced to deliver simpler taxes for 6.2 million workers.
We've supported real wage rises for around three million workers. We've had the introduction of payday super, which will increase the retirement income of working Australians. We've expanded paid parental leave to a full six months, and super is paid on top.
We've got stronger protections against supermarket price gouging. We've made permanent our Medicare urgent care clinics as part of Medicare. More medicines are on the PBS, and we've got record public hospital funding.
These policies are now being delivered because Labor is committed to keeping our promises and to making life easier for hardworking Australians. The economic results tell the same story. They demonstrate that Labor's commitments are not just promises made but promises delivered.
Inflation is still lower than when Labor came to office and well below the peak. More than 1.3 million jobs have been created, and unemployment has remained historically low. Wages are growing faster than under the previous government, whose policy was deliberate wage suppression.
In addition to this, new ABS data shows Australia's gender pay gap has fallen to 11.3 per cent, the lowest on record. When we came to government in 2022, it was 14.1 per cent. Since then, women working full time are earning an average of $325.50 more per week, and this hasn't happened by accident.
It's the result of deliberate choices made by the Albanese Labor government and choices that we took to the last election—choices that we promised and delivered under the leadership of this prime minister, Anthony Albanese. We've also been delivering pay rises for minimum-wage workers. We've increased wages in early childhood education and aged care.
We've expanded paid parental leave. Super is now being paid on paid parental leave. Each Australian is going to be $2,800 better off when they do their tax return thanks to our tax cuts that we have delivered.
In addition to this, workforce participation remains near record highs. That commitment to delivery extends beyond the economy and into the everyday issues that matter most to Australian families. We've invested $182.6 million to reform the child support system to make sure that kids get the support that they are owed and that the system can't be weaponised to harm them.
We've invested more than $4.4 billion through the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children. We've introduced 10 days paid domestic and family violence leave. We've expanded paid parental leave to six months, increased support for single parents, delivered significant women's health reforms and invested billions of dollars in pay rises for aged-care and ECEC workers.
On housing, we've committed more than $43 billion through the Housing Australia Plan, including a 50 per cent increase in Commonwealth Rent Assistance since May 2022, the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund, support for first home buyers and substantial investments in homelessness and crisis accommodation services. In health, Labor has delivered the largest investment in Medicare in decades.
We've expanded bulk-billing incentives. We've opened up more Medicare urgent care clinics. We've listed new medicines on the PBS.
We've reduced medicine costs. We've rolled out the first comprehensive national package focused on women's health, including menopause and endometriosis care. Labor, under Anthony Albanese, our prime minister, has not only kept its commitments but also delivered real improvements to the lives of Australians.
Whether it's tax relief, higher wages, stronger Medicare, more affordable housing and greater support for families, our record is clear, and this prime minister's record is absolutely clear. Australians can see the difference between the rhetoric and results because we are delivering for them. (Time expired)