Sally Sitou (Reid, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We've now heard first speeches from all of the new Labor members, and they have been crackers. There have been common themes throughout them all—those of humility, service and a love for doorknocking. From the member for Leichhardt up in Far North Queensland down to the member for Braddon in Tasmania, across to the west with the member for Bullwinkel and across to the east with the member for Bonner, they have all spoken about their love of doorknocking. That's because it deeply connects us to our community. We get out there. We talk to people. We find out what they are concerned about.

One of the things that the community said was their No. 1 priority was the cost of living, so it's great that in this fortnight in parliament that is exactly what we're delivering on. We are delivering on cheaper medicines by reducing PBS medications down to $25, we're delivering a 20 per cent cut to student debt, and we're also guaranteeing penalty rates because we know so many people struggle to pay the bills and rely on their penalty rates to be able to do so. We're saying to Middle Australia that 'the PBS cut is for you', we're saying to young Australians that 'that cut to student debt is for you', and we're saying to workers that 'we've got your back with penalty rates'.