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

I thank Senator O'Neill for the question and for her focus, always, on cost-of-living relief and how to make sure we live in a fairer society. We have been focused, as a government, on delivering for Australians, through cost-of-living relief for people doing it tough; a tax cut for every taxpayer, with more to come; energy rebates for every household; and stronger Medicare. While those opposite, of course, continue to be focused on themselves, we are focused on delivering for Australians: passing legislation to cut HECS debt by 20 per cent—a change that will benefit three million Australians—and passing legislation to protect the penalty rates and overtime rates of award-reliant Australian workers.

Now, we all remember the low wages being a deliberate design feature of the coalition's economic policy. In contrast, on this side, this government, the Albanese Labor government, has advocated every single year since our first election for increases to the minimum wage, supporting increases for almost three million working Australians.

And of course, last night, cheaper medicines passed this Senate, measures that are saving another $200 million every year for Australians—on top of the $1.5 billion they are not paying at the pharmacy counter, from our efforts last term. We hear too many stories of Australians going to pharmacies and having to choose which script to fill because they can't afford them also. We have acted. We are making medicines cheaper, and that is what this government is all about: delivering—delivering for Australians.