Tracey Roberts (Pearce, Australian Labor Party) | Hansard source

I rise to support the motion put by the member for Lalor and speak about the remarkable initiatives of our government and how they directly impact the federal seat of Pearce.

The Albanese Labor government has delivered on its promises. We now have our policies in place to deliver cheaper child care and have strengthened paid parental leave, allowing for partnered couples to claim up to 20 weeks of paid parental leave between them, and parents who are single at the time of their claim can access the full 20 weeks. The change to paid parental leave is a welcome one for new parents. I'm sure that many in this chamber will remember the stress of welcoming a new baby into a household and trying to juggle this, often without the backup of paid leave and support of a partner.

Many young families in Pearce will benefit from the Albanese Labor government's cheaper childcare scheme that commenced on 1 July 2023. Pearce has nearly 34,000 families with children and continues to grow, with more young families moving to our fast-growing area. Cheaper child care will help ease the cost-of-living pressures on families and make it easier for parents to return to paid work or work more paid hours if they want to.

My seat of Pearce is located to the north and north-east of the Perth CBD and attracts many new homebuyers to the area, as we still have land available to build new homes in desirable locations. The new Home Guarantee Scheme changes are designed to support homebuyers to buy a home sooner, by expanding the definition of a couple to allow family members or two friends living together to access the scheme. This will help so many young families and others in my electorate. It is a very welcome initiative and has been articulated clearly by those who live in Pearce.

Equally important is the additional support for many using social and affordable rental housing. Demand has continued to grow for houses, to rent, and the cost of renting, in many instances, has risen rapidly. Pearce, like many other areas across the nation, needs more social housing, so the new $2 billion social housing accelerator, to deliver thousands of new social homes across Australia, is most welcome. Working with state and territory governments, this investment will build thousands of homes for more Australians on social housing waiting lists in a more timely manner. We have a very proactive minister for housing in Western Australia, and I am confident that this initiative will help boost the work being done in our own state to achieve real change and build more homes.

From 1 July approved aged-care providers must have at least one registered nurse onsite and on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at each residential facility they operate. This is an important and necessary change, considering the findings of the Royal Commission into Aged Care, Quality and Safety that identified that staffing levels are critical as well as the quality of residential care. This initiative will provide confidence to families that their aged relatives are receiving the quality of care they deserve. It also goes without saying that the pay rise for aged-care workers was long overdue. There are 10 aged-care homes in the Pearce electorate. The staff are wonderful and do an amazing job looking after the most vulnerable and valuable elderly. I'm going to use this opportunity to say a very personal 'thank you' to all the aged-care workers not only imperious but around the nation for their valued contribution to our community.

I welcome the new safeguard mechanism policy, which sets legislated limits on the greenhouse gas emissions of our largest industrial facilities. Pearce has an expanding industrial base, and our region is attracting more businesses to the area. Safeguards like this are important in helping to protect our environment for generations to come. The new legislated net zero authority will support workers to access new employment skills as we transition.

I now come to matters of integrity. I commend the Albanese Labor government for delivering on its promise to establish the National Anti-Corruption Commission, an independent Australian government agency that detects, investigates and reports on serious or systematic corrupt conduct in the Australian government public sector. The NACC will also educate the public service and the public about corruption risks and prevention so as to ensure we all work to the highest standards and that we are all held accountable.

I will speak briefly on the new pathway in Australia that gives to New Zealand citizens who have been living in Australia for four or more years eligibility to apply directly for Australian citizenship.

This is a government that it is demonstrating its dedication to improving the lives of Australia and its residents not only in the electorate of Pearce but right around the country. The government has delivered, despite the negativity of the Liberal-Nationals coalition. We on the side get things done, and our nation is better for it.

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