Richard Dowling (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Again, I note this is not my first speech. It is a great honour to rise today in reply to the Her Excellency the Governor-General's speech marking the opening of the 48th Parliament. I thank Her Excellency for the generosity and clarity with which she spoke of the government's legislative agenda. Her speech struck a tone that was both optimistic and clear-eyed, one that acknowledged our strengths as a nation and our responsibilities as a parliament. The values she invoked—kindness, courage, humility and service—are values that I believe in and, I'd hope, this whole chamber believes in. They are values that I know are lived every day by the people I represent, from Hobart's eastern shore to the Huon Valley, from Devonport to the West Coast, and every community in between.

Australians returned the Albanese government with a strengthened mandate because we've delivered and because we've listened. We've brought fairness and stability back into economic management, with tax cuts for every Australian, not just the top end of town. We've invested in the fundamentals that support our prosperity for future generations: Medicare, schools, housing, clean energy and secure jobs. We as a Labor Party and as a government know the work is not finished and that we must do more. And we want to do more. The Australian people expect us to do more, and they trust us to do more.

The 48th Parliament has opened with a clear and urgent focus: cutting student debt by 20 per cent. In my home state of Tasmania, last year the average outstanding student debt was almost $23,000. A 20 per cent reduction in that debt is worth more than $4½ thousand to each of the over 50,000 Tasmanians who will benefit. We're also raising the repayment thresholds and moving to a fairer marginal repayment system.

Other focus areas include making child care safer, more affordable and more accessible to more families; strengthening Medicare—the roll-out of 87 Medicare urgent care clinics across Australia, with 50 more to be built over the next three years, and the establishment of 1800MEDICARE; a $10 billion investment to build 100,000 new homes just for first home buyers; tackling cost-of-living pressures with practical, targeted support; making education more affordable and more accessible for all Australians, with fee-free TAFE right across the country and, as mentioned, cutting 20 per cent of all student loan debts; supporting older Australians through aged-care and pension reform; advancing the National Reconstruction Fund to drive local manufacturing; strengthening our defence capability and deepening our regional engagement; continuing the transition to clean energy with confidence and ambition; and boosting our nation's productivity, growing our economy and making sure everyone stands to benefit—whatever they do and wherever they live.

Labor's agenda has been embraced by millions of Australians on a scale that few predicted at the start of the election. You'd think such a result would give pause for thought from the other side. Indeed, just last week, we heard from the other side that the election result was 'humiliating' and warranted time for reflection—reflection, we are told, that will result in them being 'more constructive'. Yet, in the next breath, we heard nothing but derision about some of the very policies those millions of Australians clearly voted for across every state and territory.

There is no alternative from the other side. They have lost touch with Australian needs, wants and expectations. Australians need action on the cost of living, whether that be through energy bill relief, reducing student debt, cheaper medicines, access to free TAFE, or affordable childcare. Australians want to know that they and their families will get a fair go, that the economy they work in will reward effort, that they'll be able to buy their own home, that their children will be safe at childcare and that their elderly parents will be looked after with dignity in their final years.

Australians expect action on climate change. That is why we've announced a $2 billion expansion of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. Contrast this with the other side, who, in the first week of parliament, were already arguing with themselves about net zero targets.

The government's priorities must be delivered in every region, and that includes my region—my home state of Tasmania. For young Tasmanians, particularly first-in-family university students from rural areas, the wiping of indexation and reduction of HECS debt can be the difference between staying in the state or leaving Tasmania altogether. HECS debt relief will make a huge difference for approximately 52,000 Tasmanians. It's not only cost-of-living relief; it's an investment in people who have made an investment in themselves and in improving their future.

On childcare safety: in Tasmania's smaller communities, where services are often stretched and staff are in short supply, ensuring that national standards on childcare safety are enforced and properly resourced will matter deeply to working families. When it comes to affordable housing, there are too many Tasmanians unable to buy their own home who are waiting too long for social housing or who have to continually move around because they're renting. Just yesterday, my office had a call from an elderly woman concerned about what was going to happen to her after her landlord sells the home she's been renting for years. The government's build-to-rent scheme will give greater security to tenants, with five-year leases. Homeownership is a way for people to genuinely own a stake in the economy and a way to help support intergenerational equity. For this we need to build more homes and unlock more land supply.

On the cost-of-living issue: from petrol prices in Queenstown to the cost of groceries in Sorell, Tasmanians feel the pinch of distance and distribution. That's why targeted relief like energy bill rebates and rent support must reflect regional realities.

Turning to clean energy: Tasmania's leadership in hydro, wind and emerging green hydrogen means we're well placed to play a central role in Australia's clean energy transition. But we need national coordination and long-term investment certainty to maximise that role.

On the topic of aged care: in towns across Tasmania, aged care isn't an abstract policy; it's deeply personal and community based. Reform must lift standards, improve workforce conditions and respect rural providers.

Like many in this chamber, I've come to this place with a belief that politics should be about practical progress and that governments should be a force for good. From Rosny College to this red chamber, I've seen how public policy shapes lives and how it must evolve to meet new challenges.

One area that I hope to contribute to is improving the nation's productivity. Only through productivity improvements can we achieve higher living standards for the next generation. It won't be an easy task, but it's one we should confront with optimism and confidence.

Whether on economic development, education or the energy transition, I'm here to contribute constructively and to ensure that Tasmanian voices are not only heard but central to national decision-making. The Governor-General said:

… democracy is always a work in progress—one that thrives when ideas and propositions are subject to robust, but respectful, interrogation.

She's right. That means disagreeing well, listening, acting in good faith and delivering results that improve lives—not just for the loudest or the most powerful, but for every Australian.

This 48th Parliament opens at a time of global uncertainty but also of national opportunity. Let us use this opportunity well. Let's live up to the faith Australians have placed in us. Let's govern with the values Her Excellency reminded us of—humility, strength and service—for Tasmania, for the nation and for future generations.