Alicia Payne (Canberra, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

This budget is a responsible and forward-looking plan that recognises the pressures people are under right now while also making our economy fairer into the future. Canberrans are feeling the pressure right now, and this budget meets those pressures head on. It delivers targeted cost-of-living relief, strengthens essential services like health and housing that people rely on, supports Australia's transition to clean energy and reinforces a more resilient economy. Importantly, it reflects Labor values of fairness, opportunity and ensuring that no-one is left behind. For the ACT, it continues a strong record of investment in our services, infrastructure and national institutions. It ensures that Canberra remains a great place to live, work and raise a family.

We are delivering further tax cuts from 1 July this year for every Australian taxpayer, helping ease the pressure of the cost of living. More tax relief is already flowing. This means lower tax bills for working Australians, with permanent relief that puts more money back into people's pockets year after year. For many, that is hundreds of dollars returned, making a real difference to household budgets.

We are also making it easier to claim deductions, introducing a simple $1,000 instant tax deduction with no receipts required, cutting red tape and ensuring more people can access what they're entitled to. Taken together, these changes mean meaningful relief for workers and families, with an average benefit reaching about $3,000. That is before you factor in our fuel tax cuts, which are helping Australians save every time they fill up.

For small businesses, we are cutting red tape and boosting cash flow by permanently extending the $20,000 instant asset write-off. This gives many thousands of businesses, including around 60,000 businesses here in the ACT, the confidence to invest, to grow and to create jobs in our community.

For too long, young people and families have been priced out of the housing market, forced to compete with investors benefiting from tax concessions such as negative gearing and the CGT discount. It is an issue that comes up frequently for me when I'm talking with my constituents here in Canberra. That is why we are committed to delivering a fairer system, one that gives first home buyers a genuine opportunity to get into that market. We also know that improving affordability means increasing supply. We need to build more homes and we need to build them faster. Negative gearing will be limited to only new builds from July next year, and we are delivering 1,000 homes set aside specifically for first home buyers, creating more opportunities for people to secure a place of their own. We are delivering practical support right now. Our five per cent deposit scheme for first home buyers has helped more Australians take that step sooner. Since we came to government, around 1,600 people in my electorate alone have bought their first home through this scheme, creating real outcomes for first home buyers and local families.

Shortly after the budget, I joined the Prime Minister, Treasurer and housing minister to meet with two of my constituents, Mika and Matt, and their dog, Pikelet, in the Canberra suburb of Kingston thanks to Labor's five per cent deposit scheme. Mika told us that it would have taken many more years of renting and saving before they would have been able to afford their own home had they had to have a 20 per cent deposit.

And Labor is not stopping there. We are making sure new homes can actually be built. Through the ACT share of the local infrastructure fund we are investing $50 million in the essential infrastructure that unlocks development, including roads, power and drainage, the building blocks of new communities. We also recognise that not everyone is in a position to buy yet, and that's why we have increased Commonwealth rent assistance by more than 50 per cent since 2022—to help ease pressure for those doing it tough in the rental market. Through the Housing Australia Future Fund we are investing in long-term solutions supporting more social and affordable homes and ensuring that those most in need can access stable and affordable housing. This includes women and children at risk to ensure that they have access to safe and secure accommodation. We saw a $60 million investment into housing for those struggling with youth homelessness. This is about fairness. It is about opportunity and it is about building a future where every Australian has the chance to get ahead.

Since coming to government, we've committed more than $4 billion to the ACT, ensuring our city receives the investment it deserves. This budget continues that strong trajectory with practical measures that support households, strengthen services and invest in the future. Canberra's national institutions will receive over $20 million in additional funding to continue their essential work preserving and sharing Australia's History. This includes nearly $10 million for the National Film and Sound Archive and $3 million in the Museum of Australian Democracy as it prepares for its centenary. This is such a loved institution in our community. In science and innovation, the CSIRO will receive almost $390 million, building on last year's $278 million investment. This funding supports world-leading research and reinforces Canberra's role as a hub for scientific excellence. We are also contributing $30 million to deliver a new RSPCA animal welfare campus in Pialligo, supporting better care for animals and strengthening services for the region. We are working with the ACT and New South Wales governments to improve rail connections between Canberra and Sydney, helping deliver more reliable and efficient travel. This is something that has been a long time coming and many people have advocated for, including people who were part of the inquiry I chaired last term into fostering the significance of our nation's capital. It was great to see another recommendation of that report delivered on in the investment into the rail between here and Sydney. This budget has a really strong investment for Canberra. It strengthens the services people rely on and helps build a more resilient and inclusive economy for the future.

Every budget since the Albanese Labor government came to office has included a Women's Budget Statement, providing a clear view of how our investments support women, strengthen women's economic security and advance gender equality. This continues to be a proud Labor legacy. Gender-responsive budgeting and women's budget statements were first introduced by the Hawke government in the 1980s and were restored by the Albanese government in 2022. I know that in opposition we continued to put those out as well in between those periods. This budget delivers for Australian women. We're continuing to invest in women's safety and we're making the child support system fairer and safer so more families get the child support they are owed. We're investing almost $183 million to make the child support system safer and fairer. Currently, there are more than one million children in the child support system and women make up 83 per cent of recipient parents. Currently, almost $2 billion is owed in unpaid child support debt in Australia—even more when private arrangements are included. That's $2 billion that children are missing out on. The average debt is nearly $8,700. We know that, for many families, this amount could enable a parent to pay for braces for their child, fund club or representative sport, go on school excursions or learn a musical instrument. Our reforms will crack down on financial abuse and strengthen the child support system against weaponisation, ensuring more children and families get the child support they are owed. These are the most significant changes to the child support system in nearly 20 years. These important reforms will both help keep children out of poverty and ensure government systems are not weaponised when relationships break down. These important reforms will both help keep children out of poverty and ensure government systems are not weaponised when relationships break down.

Our majority women government will continue to deliver better outcomes for women and girls. Since 2022, we've made significant progress towards gender equality. Women's average weekly earnings have grown by almost $300 per week. More than one million families have benefited from cheaper child care. Australia has recorded its highest ever international ranking for gender equality in 13th this year, up from 43rd when we came to government. Women have saved more than $47 million across almost 139 million prescriptions, including through expanded access to contraceptives and menopause therapies.

In the health portfolio, this budget delivers real, practical improvements to health care for Canberrans, strengthening Medicare and making it easier for people to get the care they need when they need it. We are making free urgent care clinics a permanent part of our health system, and that includes investment in a new urgent care clinic to be opened in Woden and investing in the five existing nurse led walk-in centres that people know and love here in the ACT. These clinics are already easing pressure on our hospitals and helping families access care quickly without the worry of the bill.

We are also expanding access to primary care, with three new fully bulk-billed GP clinics and stronger incentives to support existing practices right here in Canberra. This means that Canberrans will be able to see a doctor without reaching for their wallet, and this is in direct response to the fact that bulk-billing in Canberra has been historically low, among some of the lowest rates in the country, and it's something that my constituents raise with me. I'm really proud that our government has responded in this way to deliver that really practical support to get these new clinics up and running.

This budget continues our strong support for public hospitals, with an additional $4.1 billion over five years to ensure the ACT has the resources it needs to deliver high-quality care. We are also building on our work to make medicines cheaper. Millions of scripts have already been delivered at a lower cost, putting money back into the pockets of families, ensuring they do not have to choose between their health and their finances. Importantly, we are investing in the wellbeing of our young people. This includes targeted funding to strengthen youth mental health services, including to close gaps and ensure support is available earlier, when it can make the biggest difference. We are improving preventive care, from expanding access to dental services for children to strengthening immunisation programs for older Australians. Taken together, these measures reflect a clear priority: a stronger, fairer health system that delivers for every Australian.

Climate and energy issues are consistently among the most important concerns raised with me by my constituents. Many residents are increasingly focused on the transition to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy, as well as the need for practical policies that both reduce emissions and support local jobs and industries. I'm proud that our Cheaper Home Batteries Program is delivering real and measurable benefits for households and for our energy system. Since the program began in July last year, more than 414,000 batteries have been installed across the country, including nearly 7,000 here in the ACT. This effort has effectively doubled Australia's total battery capacity and builds on our world-leading adoption of rooftop solar, which is now installed on around one in three homes.

Together, these changes are transforming how energy is generated, stored and used in this country. Households are seeing meaningful savings on their power bills, and there are broader benefits as well. By reducing demand during peak periods, batteries are helping to ease pressure on the grid and put downward pressure on electricity prices for everyone. Across Australia, we are already seeing the impact. The recent release of the final default market offer reflects a significant structural shift in the energy system, driven by increased battery uptake and reduced reliance on fossil fuels, such as coal and gas.

There is always more work to do. Over 130 renewable projects have been approved. Already, over 50 per cent renewables are supplying Australia's grid, and that's growing. In contrast, the coalition left behind chaotic energy policies and opposed cost-of-living support when Australians needed it most.

The Albanese government is taking a different approach. We are focused on practical reforms that provide immediate relief for households, while laying the foundations for a stronger and more sustainable energy system. Our budget also supports cleaner and more affordable transport. Fringe benefits exemptions for electric vehicles have been extended through to 2029 and beyond, making these vehicles more accessible and reducing exposure to volatile fuel prices. I know this is very popular in my electorate, which has some of the highest uptake of EVs around the country. At the same time, we are strengthening energy security. We're increasing national fuel reserves by lifting coverage to 50 days and requiring gas companies to reserve 20 per cent of supply for the domestic market. We are also investing to expand our reserves of jet fuel and diesel. By keeping more fuel here and ensuring reliable domestic supply, we are better prepared for future shocks.

No matter what is happening around the world, the Albanese Labor government is taking action to support Australians at home. This is a budget that is delivering a fair go for all Australians.

See this speech in context