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

I rise to speak on Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2025-2026, Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2025-2026 and Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 2) 2025-2026. These bills represent the continuation of our government's responsible and fair economic management. They provide roughly seven-twelfths of the annual funding required for this fiscal year, alongside allocations for budget measures announced earlier in the 2025 budget and some additional items since that include funding for election commitments and measures highlighted in the pre-election fiscal outlook and adjustments following machinery-of-government changes.

It's worth taking stock of what we already delivered in our first term. We have stabilised and strengthened the economy. We have made meaningful progress in easing inflationary pressures. Real wages have begun to recover after a period of decline. We have maintained a strong labour market by historical standards, even in the face of global uncertainty. And we dramatically improved the budget position. Australia has now recorded the largest nominal budget improvement in a parliamentary term. We delivered the first back-to-back surplus in nearly 20 years, and recent budget outcomes have come in significantly better than forecast, reflecting disciplined economic management. That did not happen by accident; it was the result of responsible management discipline and an economic plan that works for ordinary Australians, not just the top end of town. The Albanese Labor government will continue this approach in our second term. In a time of global economic uncertainty, rising interest rates and geopolitical instabilities, Australia has remained resilient. That is not by chance; it is by design—balancing the budget, lowering the debt, investing in people and delivering the high-quality services that Australians deserve.

These appropriation bills are about more than just numbers in columns; they are about priorities and they are about values. Once again, health is at the very heart of what this government is doing. We know our health system is under pressure, and that is exactly why these investments matter. Medicare is the centrepiece. It always has been for Labor governments and it always will be. In this year's budget, we committed to making sure that by 2030 nine out of 10 GP visits will be bulk-billed. That is a tripling of what we inherited from those opposite, who froze rebates and sent bulk-billing off a bloody cliff. We have increased funding for public hospitals. We have rolled out more Medicare urgent care clinics, taking the national total to 137. We are building up our health workforce with more doctors and nurses, and we're lowering costs for patients, particularly women, by expanding access, choice and affordability.

In my electorate of Hunter, this is not an abstract comment. It is something families are seeing in real time. I want to acknowledge the doctors at Always Healthcare in Cessnock and Kurri Kurri, who have taken up the opportunity and are now fully bulk-billing patients just like the other 27 in the Hunter are doing right now. Every single patient who walks through their doors is bulk-billed. That means more families in the Hunter can see a doctor without worrying about whether they can afford it. It means pensioners, young families, apprentices, people out of work—every one of them—can get the care they need when they need it, without the stress of the out-of-pocket costs. That is Medicare working exactly the way it was designed to. And it is happening because this government has put money where its mouth is. I hear from families every week who tell me they can finally go into the GP again, that they're not having to put it off, that they are not sitting at home hoping the cough or the pain just goes away. That is the difference bulk-billing makes. That is the difference Labor makes.

I want to be crystal clear: if you live in Cessnock, Singleton, Kurri, Toronto, Edgeworth, Wyee or Greta, Medicare matters to you. If you're a pensioner living week to week, bulk-billing is the difference between getting care and going without. If you're a young apprentice with not much cash in your pocket, bulk-billing means you can see your GP without worrying about how you're going to pay the next lot of rent. If you're a single mum juggling work and kids, cheaper medicines and bulk-billing will mean that you can keep your family healthy without breaking the bank. That is what Medicare is all about.

I know families are doing it tough right now, and that is why we have provided responsible cost-of-living relief across the board. We have delivered more energy bill relief. We have delivered tax cuts for every taxpayer. We have cut student debt by 20 per cent. We have made medicines cheaper, because no-one should be splitting pills in half or skipping prescriptions just to make ends meet. We have also supported renters and first home buyers with practical housing measures. We have helped parents with cheaper child care and guaranteed preschool hours. We have backed apprentices with cash payments to keep them in training. Every part of this budget is about making life just a little bit easier, while still being responsible with the nation's finances. These are practical, responsible measures that make a real difference, while not adding to inflation, and they are part of a bigger plan—a plan that takes the pressure off households right now, while investing in the services and skills that make life better in the long run.

I want to take a moment to focus on men's health. As colleagues are aware, I was asked to serve as the Special Envoy for Men's Health, and I take that responsibility very seriously. For too long men's health has not been front and centre in the national conversation. We know the statistics. Men die younger. Men take their own lives at higher rates. Men are less likely to access preventive health services. Too many blokes put things off, stick their head in the sand and think that going to the GP is not for them. We are determined to change that, and that's why we announced a dedicated $32 million men's health package, the most significant national investment in men's health in years.

The package supports local men's sheds, which provide safe spaces for blokes to connect and look after each other. It supports targeted prostate cancer awareness and screening campaigns. It helps expand suicide prevention and mental health support, and it helps address the barriers men face in accessing the right care at the right time. In the Hunter, I've seen this up close. I've visited men's sheds from Cessnock to Singleton to Lake Macquarie. I've spoken with blokes who say that without their shed they would be isolated, depressed or even worse. These places save lives, and government is backing them in. We are also talking openly about things blokes often avoid—prostate checks, mental health, heart health. I often say to blokes in the Hunter, 'It's not weak to speak; it's actually strong.' Now, thanks to simple blood tests, there are no excuses when it comes to a prostate cancer check-up. Our investment is about sending a message: your health matters, your mate's health matters and your government backs you in looking after it, as well.

I also want to highlight women's health, because the two go hand in hand. This government has put record funding into women's health. When women are healthy, families are healthy and communities are strong. We are expanding access to reproductive services. We are funding more endometriosis clinics. We're improving menopause care and research. We are backing in more Medicare support for women's health services across the country. For the first time, women's health is not a side issue; it's a centrepiece of Medicare reform. This is about fairness. For decades, women were told to just put up with endo pain. For decades, menopause was ignored. That is changing under this government, and I know women in my electorate are noticing. From Kurri Kurri to Morisset, from Broke to Cameron Park, women are telling me they finally feel like their health is being taken seriously.

As Special Envoy for Men's Health, I want to be absolutely clear: men's health and women's health are not in competition. We rise together. Supporting women's health makes our community stronger. Supporting men's health does the exact same thing. That is the vision underpinning our investment, and that is what Labor governments do. We invest in people. We put health care first. We back the services that Australians rely on every single day.

This budget is also about the future—a future built by skilled workers. I left school at 15 to become a fitter. I know firsthand how much opportunity TAFE provides you with. It gave me a trade, a career and a future, and it's still doing that for thousands of young Aussies today. That is why this government has made fee-free TAFE permanent. Skills are the backbone of our economy, tradies keep the lights on, build the houses, fix the machines and keep our economy moving. So many nurses, aged-care workers and disability support workers get their start at TAFE as well.

In the Hunter, I meet young people taking up fee-free TAFE to become sparkies, chippies, plumbers and nurses. They are the workforce of the future, they build the homes Australians desperately need, and they will staff the hospitals, aged-care homes and childcare centres that our communities rely on. We're also providing up to $10,000 for eligible apprentices in housing construction trades. That is practical support that helps people stick with their training, stay in the industry and deliver the homes of the future.

I will say this bluntly. The other side never believed in TAFE. They cut it, they hollowed it out, and they pushed people into expensive private providers. We are rebuilding it because this government backs skills, backs training and backs Aussie workers.

This budget is also about homes, jobs and a future made in Australia. We are taking action to ensure Australian homes are prioritised for Australians, including measures to limit foreign purchases of existing homes. We are making Help to Buy bigger and fairer. We are investing in green metals, clean energy and the future industries. We are cutting reliance on consultants and labour hire, saving taxpayers billions of dollars. This is responsible nation building—investments where it matters, savings where we can and always putting Aussies first.

People in the Hunter know what responsible government looks like because they are seeing the results on the ground. They are seeing it in bulk-billing at our GPS. They are seeing it at the new urgent care clinics. They are seeing more TAFE opportunities, more apprenticeships and more homes being built. They see it in better support for Men's Sheds and mental health services. They see it in cheaper medicines and stronger hospitals. They see it in investment in jobs and industries of the future, whether that is clean energy, advanced manufacturing, green metals or our traditional industries as well. They also see it in everyday things that matter most—kids getting better support at schools, older Australians being looked after in aged care and young people getting a fairer go when it comes to jobs and housing. This is what Labor governments deliver: practical, fair, responsible outcomes that make life better for working people.

The 2025-2026 appropriation bills are about keeping our economy strong, repairing the budget and delivering services Australians really rely on. We are continuing the fight against inflation while making sure Australians are supported through cost-of-living pressures. We are providing responsible cost-of-living relief, and we are building for the future.

At the centre of all this is Medicare, making sure Australians can see a doctor, get the care they need and look after their health without breaking the bank. I am proud of the $32 million package we have delivered. As a Labor MP, I am proud of our investment in women's health, in Medicare, in hospitals, in skills and in homes. As the member for Hunter, I am proud that families in places like Cessnock, Kurri, Singleton and Lake Macquarie are already seeing the benefits. These bills are about building a healthier, stronger, fairer Australia. That is what Labor stands for, that is what Labor delivers, and that is what we'll keep delivering in this term and beyond. I commend the bills to the House.

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