Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

The government introduced legislation, as you know, that will cut student debts by 20 per cent, a change that will benefit three million Australians and will make HECS repayments fairer, benefiting millions more students in the years to come—people who are not even at university yet. The government has increased paid parental leave to 24 weeks. We've increased individual and family income limits so more Australians can benefit. Superannuation will now be paid on all government paid parental leave. We've also introduced the Commonwealth prac payment for students in crucial fields like nursing, midwifery, teaching and social work to take pressure off when they are flat out doing prac placements while trying to pay the bills. We are supporting new tradies who take up apprenticeships in housing construction, who will receive $10,000 incentive payments on top of their wages.

What is clear from the last term and from the approach in this term is that Labor is for cost-of-living relief and the Liberals are for higher taxes.