CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS

Mr NEUMANN (Blair) (16:08): As conflict overseas continues to push up prices at home and drive the global inflation challenge, the Albanese government has been helping my constituents with cost-of-living relief. We're delivering real change. Since July, every worker, including 80,000 taxpayers in Blair, has received another tax cut.

Nationally, around three million workers have been getting a pay rise. We've banned supermarket price gouging to give shoppers a fair go at the check-out. We've extended paid parental leave to a full six months, giving more than 2,600 local families in Blair more time with their little ones and more support.

We're making urgent care clinics a permanent part of Medicare so you can see a doctor for free. Our local clinic in Ipswich has been open for almost three years now and has seen almost 40,000 visits in that time. And we're tackling the big challenges that have been put off for too long.

We passed new laws to give first home buyers a fair go. If you work hard and save, you should be able to buy a home of your own. On 1 August, we backed the crucial role aged-care workers and nurses play caring for the people we love with the latest 15 per cent award wage increase, our fifth since coming to government.

I dropped into the Catholic Healthcare Villa Maria Centre Ipswich in Eastern Heights recently with the Treasurer to share the good news with staff there and share some scones with the local residents. We've also locked in a 15 per cent rise for early educators. I was delighted to visit Goodstart Early Learning Churchill during Early Learning Matters Week this month to chat to the educators and read books to the local children.

I'm glad I've got grandchildren, because I knew some of the local books they were using. And, finally, we're expanding the paid prac payments of $338.60 per week to 10 more university courses, like pharmacy, psychology, occupational therapy, speech pathology and more. It was great to drop into the University of Southern Queensland Ipswich campus in my electorate recently and hear directly from allied health students who are studying in these areas about what a real difference this will make to them.

It builds on our 20 per cent cuts to student debt, helping people to deal with the challenges of university and our introduction of paid prac for nursing, teaching, midwifery and social work students. This is about recognising and rewarding these current and future frontline workers in our community and providing more support with the cost of living. Lower taxes, higher pay, more paid prac, a fair go for families and first home buyers: these are the real changes that matter to people in Ipswich and the Somerset region, and we'll keep delivering.