Anne Urquhart (Braddon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak in support of this package of appropriation bills: the Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2025-2026 and related bills. These bills give effect to decisions outlined in the 2025-26 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook, which the Albanese Labor government delivered at the end of last year. MYEFO strengthened the budget, reduced debt and reinforced our government's responsible approach to economic and fiscal management. The figures demonstrate a significantly stronger budget position than the one we inherited and a stronger position than was forecast at the time of the election. In fact, it was the only mid-year update on record to deliver a better bottom line in every year of the forward estimates, less debt in every year of the forward estimates and net policy decisions that improve, not worsen, the fiscal outlook. We are delivering on our commitments, making space for unavoidable pressures and strengthening the budget all at once.

In my electorate of Braddon, people are practical. They are not interested in slogans or scare campaigns. They want to know if their government understands the pressures they face and if it's taking responsible action to ease those pressures while strengthening the services that our communities rely on. The Albanese Labor government is doing exactly that. Under this Labor government, 47,000 taxpayers in Braddon received a tax cut on 1 July 2024 Those who earn between $18,201 and $45,000 will receive another tax cut on 1 July this year and another in July 2027. This helps put more money in the pockets of workers. That is not accidental. It is the result of deliberate, responsible reform that puts fairness at the centre of the tax system. Unlike those opposite, who prioritise tax arrangements that overwhelmingly benefit the top end of town, Labor's approach delivers relief to low- and middle-income earners—the people who spend their money locally and keep regional economies like the electorate of Braddon moving. We've done this while improving the budget position and reducing debt, proving that you can provide cost-of-living relief without recklessness.

For younger Australians and working families in Braddon, student debt has been another significant pressure. Around 7,866 people in Braddon have a HECS debt. For years they watched their debt grow faster than they could repay it. Our government acted where others had failed to act. We fixed unfair indexation and reduced student debt, giving thousands of Braddon residents the chance to get ahead, not fall further behind. I've spent a significant amount of time at the Cradle Coast campus of the University of Tasmania, and I've spoken to students about what having that money back in their hip pocket means to them. And they are absolutely grateful. They say the difference that that makes to them into the future is really significant. That reform is already making a difference to household budgets, to confidence and to economic participation. I've spoken to many of these students, as I said, and they are grateful for that relief.

Cost-of-living pressure also shows up every time someone walks into a pharmacy to fill their prescription. That is why we delivered cheaper medicines, a reform that is particularly important in regional communities with older populations and higher rates of chronic illness. As of 31 December 2025, Braddon residents have saved more than $10 million through cheaper medicines. That is a concrete, measurable outcome. It means fewer people skipping their prescriptions, fewer people delaying their treatment and better health outcomes right across the electorate.

But health care is not just about affordability; it's about access. For too long, regional communities were expected to accept less when it came to health care. That is why the Albanese Labor government has made the largest investment in Medicare in its history, and Braddon is seeing the benefits of that investment. I'm really pleased that Braddon now has Medicare urgent care clinics in both Burnie and Devonport. These clinics provide bulk-billed care during extended hours, giving people an alternative to the emergency department for urgent but not life-threatening conditions. That means that families can get care across the weekends and out of hours in the evenings. They reduce pressure on our local emergency wards at the North West Regional Hospital and the Mersey general hospital, and they do so without cost to patients, because that is what Medicare is supposed to do.

Bulk-billing more broadly is recovering because our government chose to act. It was in the June quarter of 2025 that the GP bulk-billing rate in Braddon was at 87.3 per cent. That represents thousands of appointments where people were not charged a gap fee—appointments that were accessible because we tripled the bulk-billing incentive for those who needed it most. Patients only needed their Medicare card, not their credit card. Those opposite let bulk-billing collapse, and we are rebuilding it through that initiative.

When we talk about health care, we must also talk about mental health. Mental health care is health care, and, for too long, it was treated as optional or secondary, particularly in our regional areas. Under the Albanese Labor government, Medicare mental health centres have been delivered in both Burnie and Devonport. They are both open now. They're walk-in centres. They provide free walk-in mental health care without the need for a referral. The thing that I really like about these is that both of these services have peer support workers—people who have been through the difficult times. People who walk in can talk to someone who not only has experienced it but also provides that support. They are there for people in crisis, for those who are struggling with anxiety or depression and for those who need support before a situation escalates. They are reducing barriers to care, but they are also saving lives, which is really important.

Taken together—tax relief, student debt reform, cheaper medicines, urgent care clinics, bulk-billing support and mental health centres—this is what delivery looks like. These are not theoretical benefits; they are policies that are improving the lives of people who live in Braddon right now. And, importantly, they reflect Labor's belief that regional Australians deserve the same quality of services and opportunities as those in our major cities. The Albanese Labor government does not see communities like Braddon as an afterthought. We see them as central to Australia's future.

Our fiscal position matters, especially at a time when inflation, while having moderated significantly from its peak, remains higher than any of us would like. Importantly, in its statement in early February, the Reserve Bank did not point to government spending as a source of inflationary pressure. In fact, the RBA made it clear that the current pressure on inflation is coming from private demand. In the Statement on monetary policy, the RBA upgraded its near-term GDP outlook and explicitly attributed this to stronger private demand. They stated:

The near-term upward revision is driven by private demand …

and—

The contribution of public demand to year-ended GDP growth has continued to ease in recent quarters, as expected.

The data bears this out. In the year to September, annual private demand growth increased more than five-fold. Over the same period, annual public demand growth was less than a third of what it had been the year before. When we came to office, inflation was 6.1 per cent and rising rapidly. It is now significantly lower. Underlying inflation was almost five per cent, and it too has eased considerably.

We recognise very clearly that people are still under pressure. That is why we are continuing to roll out responsible, targeted cost-of-living support, tax cuts for every taxpayer, relief from student debt, cheaper medicines and more bulk-billing right across the country—things like Medicare urgent care clinics, Medicare mental health centres, and opportunities for people to get help when they need it most and not have to pay for it. We on this side care about our communities and we care about our regional communities—communities right across the country like those in the electorate that I represent, the electorate of Braddon.

See this speech in context