Dan Repacholi (Hunter, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Sorry, Deputy Speaker. I withdraw. We're about people, not politics. We're about putting money back in the pockets of families and creating good local jobs. We're investing in the things that really matter: roads, schools, TAFE and industries that will keep the Hunter powering the nation.

Let's talk about the cost of living. We know some families are doing it tough right now. That's why we rolled out energy bill relief for every household. Whether you're in Branxton or Kurri Kurri or out at Laguna, that is real help for real bills. We have made child care cheaper for over a million families so that parents can work more hours if they choose to. When you need to see a doctor, there are more bulk-billing clinics right across the Hunter. You can walk in and not worry about having to pay the bill. That's Labor investing in Medicare. It's the biggest boost to Medicare in 40 years. We have made medicines cheaper and tripled rent assistance. We have helped older Australians with cheaper power and prescriptions. That is what helping families looks like.

Now let's talk about jobs. I'm a fitter by trade. I have worked with miners, tradies and power station workers my whole life. I know what a good local job means to a family. It pays bills, it builds pride and it keeps people in the towns that they love. That is why we are backing the next generation of workers in the Hunter. We're investing in the clean energy, critical minerals, hydrogen and battery industries. We have set up the National Reconstruction Fund to rebuild Australian manufacturing and to create secure work right here at home. And let's be clear about net zero: it's not about shutting things down. It's about doing things smarter and keeping people in work while building new industries alongside traditional industries. The Hunter is showing how this is done. We are cutting emissions with new technology and creating new opportunities in solar, wind, gas and battery projects.

We are fixing the roads and infrastructure that our region needs. Through our regional programs, we are funding projects that really make a big difference. We are upgrading roads, building community facilities and getting shovels in the ground. We are improving mobile coverage, and broadband too. Anyone out at Bucketty, Laguna or Murrays Run knows how bad it is has been when the signal has dropped out. We have pushed hard to get those black spots fixed, because you cannot run a business or call for help without a decent signal.

We are investing in people, too. Fee-free TAFE has opened the door for more than 600,000 Australians to learn a trade without a debt. I have met many young people in Singleton who have gone straight from TAFE to full-time apprenticeships. That's how you build a future. And, unlike the other mob, we don't just roll into town when there's an election; we actually live there, in the Hunter. We work here. We represent these communities every day. When floods hit, we are there. When bushfires came through, we were there. When communities needed jobs, roads or health care, we delivered.

So let's call out this MPI for what it is. It's a headline grab from a mob that ignored regional Australia for years. This government is not betraying regional Australia; we are backing it in. We are backing the miners, the farmers, the small-business owners, the nurses, the teachers and the barbers. We are backing all the industries in the Hunter to make sure we are looking after them. We are backing people who get up early, stay back late and give everything to their communities, because when the Hunter does well, the whole country does well.

That's what Labor stands for, that's what this Albanese Labor government is delivering and that's what I will keep fighting for every single day. Thank you to the amazing people in the Hunter for the hard work you all do in helping keep this country really running and alive as it is. Keep up the great work. I look forward to working with you more in the future. Cheers.

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