Alicia Payne (Canberra, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I want to thank those opposite for bringing on this matter of public importance today that gives us an opportunity to talk about the first 10 months of the Albanese Labor government. I wish I had more than five minutes to talk about the changes that we have delivered, the changes for Australians that, in 10 months, are making such a difference. It's an interesting strategy from those opposite. I don't quite understand it, but I'm happy to speak on it.

When I talk to people in my community of Canberra, there is a palpable sigh of relief. A number of people have approached me and said, 'We are just so happy with the change of government.' There is a change of mood in this place. We'd come in here crying out for action on a whole range of issues—on climate change, on age care, on cost of living—all of these things that are so important to my constituents and all Australians—that the previous government took absolutely no responsibility for. As the member for Lalor was just saying, when we see a challenge now, we confront it. That is what government is about. We approach things by taking responsibility and getting on with the job.

I'd like to talk about a few of the key achievements in our first 10 months in government. As I said, I've only got five minutes, so I won't get to talk about them. In our first 10 months of government, we have established the National Anti-Corruption Commission—another thing that those opposite failed to deliver, even though they promised to do it. They never even introduce the legislation. We have passed a climate change bill and updated our climate targets, and at the moment we are trying to get through this House, in a very consultative manner, the very important safeguard mechanism that will begin transitioning our economy to a low-emissions economy and getting us to our target of net zero by 2050.

We are making child care cheaper and in 100 days time over a million Australian families will be better off with this policy—including so many in Canberra who struggle with some of the highest childcare costs in the country. We have made medicines cheaper. We have introduced legislation to expand paid parental leave. We have secured an increase in the minimum wage and a pay rise for aged-care workers—a much deserved and overdue pay rise. We have passed legislation to get wages moving. We have advanced a Voice to parliament, and I'm incredibly proud to be part of a government taking this on and getting it done. Today, giving the wording of the question that we will take to a referendum is an incredibly important moment for Australia. It's an opportunity to walk forward in reconciliation. The previous government initially sounded like, maybe, they were going to do it—and just shirked it.

We established a royal commission into robodebt. We are repairing our international relations. We have created 180,000 new fee-free TAFE places and are delivering 20,000 new university places. We have established 10 days paid family and domestic violence leave, one of our first actions in government, because no-one should face the choice of their job or their safety. We convened a Jobs and Skills Summit. We established Jobs and Skills Australia. We ended the cashless debit card, expanded the Commonwealth seniors health card and delivered the Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee.

We've made it easier for pensioners to earn more without losing their pension and have acted to take the sting out of energy prices and ensure bill relief. We've green-lighted over $16 billion in renewable energy infrastructure in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania through Rewiring the Nation. We've introduced the first cultural policy in a decade, which we didn't even have under the previous government because they simply didn't care about the arts and culture in this country. I am very proud of that.

Yesterday we announced Australia's first endometriosis and pelvic pain GP clinics across the country, including one right here in the ACT. I was very proud to join the minister for that announcement. And, very importantly, for the people of the ACT and the Northern Territory, we allowed the debate on restoring territory rights, something the previous government would not do. It enabled the member for Solomon and me to bring a private member's bill and ensure that our constituents have the same democratic rights now as those in the rest of the country.

So I am very, very proud of our first 10 months of a government that is making the changes that matter for Australians—as Labor governments always do.

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