Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

Indeed. I'm sitting next to another proud South Australian. I begin by acknowledging that the decision by the Reserve Bank this week to raise interest rates will come as quite unwelcome news to households across Australia. Whether you're a mortgage holder or a renter, this interest rate rise will cause extra stress on household budgets. The government has worked day in and day out since being elected looking at ways to bring sensible, responsible and affordable cost-of-living relief to Australian households. Whilst we can't control what the Reserve Bank does with respect to interest rates, we can be a government that focuses on those measures designed to make life easier and that looks at ways to put downward pressure on some of those cost-of-living increases we have been seeing. What is in our control are measures to support and subsidise Australians in buying things that are essential. We're supporting everyday Australians through policies like our cheaper medicines, which came into being on 1 January; importantly, our cheaper child care, which for over one million Australian households will make child care more affordable; and, of course, reducing the increases on energy bills, which those opposite opposed in December last year.

Our cheaper child care reforms are really important. They are about making it more affordable for families. Also they are good economic policy. In turn, the extra resourcing and investment in child care supports greater workforce participation, especially by women. We've also got our fee-free TAFE policy, so we are investing in skills— (Time expired)