MATTERS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE
Mr BURNELL (Spence) (15:48): Clearly, there's a serious presence of amnesia emanating from that side of the chamber. I remember, when I was elected to this place in 2022, we went through a process of trying to undo a former prime minister who held five secret portfolios. That's right; we had two treasurers, two health ministers, two finance ministers, two home affairs ministers and two industry, science, energy and resources ministers.
It was no wonder that debt tripled under those opposite—nobody knew who was steering the ship. They have the audacity to come in here today and say that this government is trashing the economy and destroying our way of life. Seriously, take a good look in the mirror.
In the 2014 budget delivered by those opposite, they ripped $80 billion out of our health and education system and froze indexation on Medicare payments to GPs, and then they put the nail in the coffin for workers at Holden. I remember being at home watching the then treasurer, Joe Hockey; and the then prime minister, Tony Abbott (1) dismissing workers and the need to support a car manufacturing industry in my home electorate but (2) failing to subsequently deliver for those workers that were displaced.
So to come in here and say that this government's trashing the economy and destroying our way of life—I will put it to the other side that you did destroy the way of life in my community. You ripped the heart out of our community and left people to suffer for a decade or more. The hypocrisy coming from that side of the chamber—seriously, read the history books.
I am extremely proud to be part of the Albanese Labor government. We are providing hope to people in my community and to communities around Australia. In January, we announced 17,000 new homes, of which 7,000 are for first home buyers in Munno Para as part of an $801.5 million investment.
Playford Alive has a $50 million three-year federal loan only for 400 first home buyers. I remember being at an announcement recently with a young couple. Aidan had a chat to us.
He said that the first home buyer grant has made all the difference to him and his partner being able to share in the Australian dream of home ownership. That's not wrecking our economy; that's building it up. That's what good Labor governments do.
We build people up. We've delivered an urgent care clinic in my community, right in the heart of Elizabeth, alongside a Medicare mental health clinic. I spoke about this in yesterday's MPI, but I'm happy to speak about this again today, given that the Leader of the Opposition wanted to talk about it again.
We delivered a veterans and family wellbeing hub that is making veterans' lives better every single day, and that is something that I am extremely proud of. I stood alongside the member for Blair at the time, who was the shadow minister for veterans' affairs when we announced that in the lead-up to the '22 election. I was so proud to stand alongside my mate the Minister for Veterans Affairs and Defence Personnel when we opened that just one week shy of a year ago.
That was a really proud moment for our community to finally deliver something tangible for our veterans where they could go and seek the support that they need. That's not destroying the economy and destroying our way of life; that's lifting people up. That's what good Labor governments do.
We've delivered over four million cheaper scripts, saving the people of Spence over $21 million. I was at the Women's and Children's Hospital Foundation Family Health and Wellbeing Hub, a $26 million investment by the Labor government. That's building something that will support young families going through hard times—again, lifting people up.