House debates

Thursday, 4 August 2022

Questions without Notice

Albanese Government

3:07 pm

Photo of Sally SitouSally Sitou (Reid, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. What work is the Albanese government doing to improve the lives of Australians and put our country on a path to a better future after a wasted decade?

Photo of Anthony AlbaneseAnthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

I thank the member for Reid for her question and for her contribution already to the Labor government. We have hit the ground running. This is a government that promised not to waste a day, and we're certainly doing that. Our government has had a real impact on people's lives, whether it be the minimum wage increase, whether it be dealing with floods, whether it be delivering antivirals and fourth shots around the country. Our plans are to build the foundations of a better future—43 per cent reduction in our emissions, which is about creating economic opportunity; jobs and skills—the Jobs and Skills Australia legislation, which is up, and the Jobs and Skills Summit, where we'll get business, unions and civil society together to talk about how we advance; aged care, where we've already passed legislation where we've stood up for the workers—who we see today in the gallery—who need a pay increase; rebuilding relationships around the world, making us stronger at home but making us stand on our own two feet and be secure in the world.

It's not just what we do; it's how we do it. How you do it is: bringing people together by being more inclusive, something that those opposite never sought to do. They were always looking for division. We look for unity. We look for that sense of purpose and our common interests, whether it be working with business, unions and civil society on climate change, finding strength in our common purpose. Good government changed my life, and good government helps people put a roof over their head. Good government supports young people who want to learn a trade or get a degree. A good government ensures older Australians can live out their later years with dignity and respect. A good government creates opportunities for families to get ahead. A good government gets wages rising. A good government boosts productivity. A good government makes it possible for Australia to make things here again. And a good government uplifts the whole nation by advancing the interests of the nation by recognising that our history did not begin in 1788 and by recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our national birth certificate, our Constitution.

Together on economic policy, on social policy, on environmental policy, we will build a better future. We will form alliances and work with all people of goodwill, and that is what we saw when the parliament passed our climate legislation bill this morning.