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

The member for Fairfax and those opposite want to lecture this place about government spending with this private member's motion today. Let's talk about government spending. Under those opposite, spending ballooned, debt ballooned and deficits were entrenched. What did Australians have to show for it? Higher inflation, real wages falling and a trillion dollars of Liberal debt.

On this side of the House we've done the hard work. Labor has paid down Liberal debt. Labor has delivered two budget surpluses. Labor has overseen the biggest budget turnaround in a parliamentary term. We've improved the budget position by more than $233 billion compared with what we inherited. Debt is $176 billion lower in 2025-26, saving $60 billion in interest costs alone. We've got the budget in much better nick than what we inherited from those opposite.

While we've repaired the budget, we've also delivered for all Australians. It is Labor that has cut taxes for every taxpayer so Australians can earn more and keep more of what they earn. If those opposite had won the last election, income taxes would be going up for more than 14 million Australians. They had plans for higher taxes. They had a plan for more debt. They had a plan for lower wages. If they had their way, Australians would be earning less and paying more. That is not economic responsibility; that is economic recklessness.

Labor's spending is responsible, is targeted and is fixing years of neglect. Through our Better and Fairer Schools Agreement, we are delivering the biggest new investment in public schools by an Australian government because every child deserves the opportunity to fulfil their potential. We are delivering real, practical cost-of-living relief. In my community of Bonner over 6,000 families receive Commonwealth rent assistance. Those opposite failed to keep it in line with inflation. Labor has increased rent assistance by almost 50 per cent.

We are strengthening Medicare. Thousands of residents in my community have already benefited from our brand-new Medicare urgent care clinics—the Carina-Carindale and Capalaba Medicare clinics—which are open seven days a week and are fully bulk-billed, with not a cent to pay. There are now 130 Medicare urgent care clinics right across our country. There are over 3,400 GP practices now fully bulk-billing right across the nation, including 13 in my electorate of Bonner. More than 95 per cent of Australians now live within 20 minutes of a bulk-billing practice. That is what responsible investment looks like. We are also delivering for people with disability. Labor has reduced waiting times for the disability support pension from an average of 96 days to 34 days—and that is because we invest in frontline services.

We recognise Australians are under pressure. That is why we are delivering tax cuts, cheaper medicines, more bulk-billing, higher wages and housing support while still improving the budget. Those opposite talk about spending, but when they were in government low wages were a deliberate design feature of their economic architecture. Real wages fell for five consecutive quarters before we came to office, and inflation had a six in front of it. Real wages are now growing. Living standards are rising. More than 1.2 million jobs have been created since May 2022, with more than four in five in the private sector. The private sector is recovering. Growth is picking up. Investment is strengthening.

We are focused on higher living standards, secure jobs and responsible economic management. Those opposite stand for higher taxes, lower wages, bigger deficits and more debt. Labor stands for stronger Medicare, better schools, housing security and cost-of-living relief. I hear those opposite sighing. If the member for Fairfax and those opposite want to see actual reckless spending, they don't need a private member's motion in this place; all they need is a mirror.

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