Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) | Hansard source

I thank you for the question. We had inflation figures earlier today that showed a rate of four per cent, down from 4.2 per cent. We continue to work on the cost of living as our No. 1 priority. Today of all days, just one week from when a whole lot of those measures cut in, is an appropriate time to answer a question about living standards, because next week every Australian worker will get a tax cut, including a significant increase for those who are on the minimum wage. We know that those opposite were opposed to that and were going to repeal the legislation, just like they're saying they'll repeal the legislation that's currently before the Senate. On 1 July next week, we have another tax cut for every single taxpayer. They'll get another one the following July. We have super paid on pay day—important reform.

Importantly, today I met with a lovely couple and their young bub who are getting the expansion of paid parental leave to a full 26 weeks and superannuation paid on paid parental leave, something that some of the leaders of the right-wing parties over there and in the other place have said is a waste. One of the right-wing leaders has actually said that paid parental leave is bad because people will get pregnant and have a baby just to get paid parental leave—an extraordinary statement that I don't think has been repudiated yet. We made sure that every single one of our 137 urgent care clinics would be open well before 1 July, and they will become a permanent part of Medicare after 1 July.

Our 22 endo and pelvic pain clinics will be expanded to include services for menopause and perimenopause on 1 July. Our record hospital funding through the National Health Reform Agreement will be delivered—$25 billion. The $20,000 instant asset write-off for small business will be made permanent. Next week, we'll also mark one year since the launch of our Cheaper Home Batteries Program. Our goal was a million batteries by 2030. We've seen an extraordinary 450,000 installs. Families and small businesses are permanently cutting their power bills. Next week, we'll deliver our ban on supermarket price gouging. All of these measures are about the cost of living. All of them show what the priorities of this government are, and all of them are opposed by those opposite.

See this speech in context