Kara Cook (Bonner, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

What would be truly reckless is doing nothing, which is exactly what we see from the other side—nothing, no policy, no ideas. They don't even know who their leader is anymore!

Let's talk about what Labor is delivering, and let's start with health. Labor has delivered 120 urgent care clinics so Australians can get free walk-in care when they need it, closing the gap without paying any out-of-pocket fees. Locally, in my community of Bonner, we have seen not one but two Medicare urgent care clinics in the last two months. The Carina-Carindale and the Capalaba urgent care clinics are now open. We've delivered 51 Medicare mental health clinics and 41 more are on the way, with 10 to come in Queensland alone, because mental health care should not depend on your postcode or your bank balance. We've strengthened Medicare with $25 PBS medicines—real relief every single time someone walks into a pharmacy, saving Australians more than $200 million a year. In my electorate of Bonner, that's $14.2 million saved since 2023. These aren't abstract policies; they're fewer dollars at the counter, they're early intervention and they're peace of mind for all Australians.

Under Labor, Australians with student debt have received a 20 per cent reduction, wiping an average of $5,500 off what they owe—21,000 people with student debt in Bonner are now better off. That's money back in the pockets of nurses, teachers, social workers and small-business owners. That's relief that flows straight into the economy and straight into household budgets. All of these were, shamefully, opposed by those opposite.

Let's talk about housing. Labor is helping first home buyers get a foot in the door with five per cent first home deposits—not a handout, but a hand up. In Queensland alone, more than 50,000 people have taken up this opportunity—50,000 Queenslanders who are now homeowners or on their way to becoming one, including hundreds in Bonner. Many of those, I'm sure, are also small-business owners. If empowering that many people to buy their first home is reckless then sign me up every single day of the week. That's what Labor governments do—we deliver.

Labor is delivering cost-of-living relief. We are delivering for small business. We're not reckless; we're responsive. We're not irresponsible; we're realistic. And we're not here to play games while people are doing it tough. That's what governing looks like. It's delivering real relief to people who need it most, not playing politics and calling people names.

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