Gabriel Ng (Menzies, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

This week I had the privilege of meeting Hasmik and Hrug, youth advocates from the Armenian National Committee of Australia's Job Shadow Advocate Program. We spoke about the challenges facing young people today, and I learned more about their community's proud history. They told me that the cost of living continues to rise, noting that even a simple bottle of water can now cost $5. They said it feels like their money does not go as far as it once did. They told me that, as young Australians, they feel shut out—working hard, studying and saving, but still worried they will never own a home. Yet they also said they had not lost hope. With smart decisions and leaders who listen, they believe the future can still be fairer and brighter.

A better future is exactly what the Albanese Labor government is delivering. We are delivering for young people. We've halved inflation from what we inherited from those opposite. We've introduced a five per cent home deposit discount to help first home buyers and reserved 100,000 homes just for first home buyers. We've had three interest rate cuts as a result of our responsible management of inflation. We've cut student debt by 20 per cent for students and graduates, and increased the threshold at which student debts are repaid. We've made fee-free TAFE permanent so more Australians can gain practical skills. These are just some of the ways the Albanese Labor government is investing in the future for the next generation of Australians like Hasmik and Hrug.

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