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

I thank Senator Walker not only for that question but for her strong advocacy for the people of South Australia, particularly regional South Australians and those of the Fleurieu, where she's from. And I think we would both acknowledge the bushfire that has been raging at Deep Creek since Sunday and thank all the CFS firefighters who have been working tirelessly to contain the blaze which came so close to Cape Jervis.

The question I'm asked is: how is our government delivering for Australians? Well, we've seen higher wages; the lowest average unemployment rate of any government in the last 50 years, with 1.2 million jobs created; the smallest gender pay gap on record; cost-of-living support; helping more Australians into homes—

Senator Bragg, please listen to this, because, in my home state of South Australia, we saw the Prime Minister in Adelaide announcing a landmark agreement with the Malinauskas Labor government to unlock 17,000 new homes, including 7,000 for first home buyers. On top of that, we've opened eight Medicare urgent care clinics across the state, from Mount Gambier to Elizabeth to Victor Harbor, and delivered $2 billion in additional public hospital funding, with $500 million for Flinders Medical Centre and the Repat, in partnership with Premier Malinauskas and his government. South Australians have also saved around $150 million on cheaper medicines, also opposed by you.

Every taxpayer has received a cut, with more to come, and all of this was delivered despite the trenchant opposition of the Liberals, the Nationals and One Nation—the three parties of the right, all lined up to prevent—

I'll take that interjection. 'Careful if we get together,' says the Leader of the Opposition! Well, we've seen, in this chamber, what that might look like, Senator Cash! (Time expired)