Josh Dolega (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

We all know how tough things are for people in the community right now. Families, businesses and battlers in Tassie and across the nation are really feeling the pinch of the cost of living, but I think they know that their Labor government is supporting them. Throughout the country and throughout the years, we've also seen more climate related natural disasters. They are occurring more often and hitting harder. But this Labor government is taking action to fix and address climate change and to provide cost-of-living support to Australians.

We are working hard to reduce climate related harm, and we are delivering that relief to everyday Australians. And it's in stark contrast that our opponents, the Liberals, had to be dragged kicking and screaming just into accepting the science of climate change. To be truthful, I still don't know whether all of them actually do accept it—definitely not in the Nationals. For a lost decade, they sat on their hands. They denied the problem, they delayed action, and they left communities vulnerable. While fires rages and floods hit, they offered nothing. That inaction drove insurance premiums higher for everyone, and families are still paying the price for their denial, delay and neglect.

Meanwhile, One Nation continue as well to reject the science of climate change. They want to scrap net zero. They want to abolish the climate change department and pull Australia out of the Paris Agreement. That position would make insurance costs and cost-of-living pressures even harder for families. People need to have a look at One Nation, because what they say and what they actually do matter. While One Nation and the Nationals publicly talked down net zero and climate change, they are lining up and getting solar panels on their houses. They're doing one thing and saying another.

Extreme weather and rising insurance costs have been a global challenge, and here in Australia we've been rolling up our sleeves, getting on with tackling the effects of climate change and mitigating natural disasters. Labor has committed $1 billion over five years to the Disaster Ready Fund. The money is strengthening homes and towns, and it's improving evacuation routes and early warnings. We've established the Hazards Insurance Partnership, a collaboration between government and insurers to share data to better understand where to invest to reduce risk and insurance costs. At the same time, we're tackling the cost-of-living crisis, and it's still our No. 1 priority.

Labor know people are doing it tough, and we're working every day to deliver cost-of-living relief for them. That's evidenced just this week by what the Prime Minister announced after he convened National Cabinet. Labor is cutting the fuel excise by 50 per cent. That's taking 26.3c per litre off the price of fuel. In my hometown of Devonport in Tassie, the cost of fuel has today dropped down to $2.19 a litre. It's still too high, but it's a massive decrease from yesterday, when it was pipping over $2.50. And we've seen diesel come down to under $3. That is providing relief every time you fill up your tank at the petrol station.

We are delivering tax cuts for every taxpayer, with the next round coming up in July. That will be a tax cut of up to $268 per year, which was opposed at the last election by those opposite.

We are supporting pay rises for minimum and award wage workers. We recently made a submission to the Fair Work Commission to support that pay rise for those who are paid least. That means a lot for those people, who would not be supported by those opposite. Paid parental leave will now be paid for up to 24 weeks. It's world-leading legislation.

We've got our solar batteries program providing incentives for people to be able to get batteries and to be able to store the solar energy that they generate, which will save them on their power bills. We've been providing $10,000 bonuses for tradie apprentices, which is making a difference to skill up the workforce for the jobs that we need to build the houses that we need.

We've been supporting paid placements for student nurses, teachers and social workers. We've got record funding for hospitals, and we've tripled the bulk-billing rate for GPs, which is resulting in more bulk-billed GP visits. We've lowered the costs for women's health care, which is absolutely fantastic. More first home buyers can buy their first home with just a five per cent deposit. This government is taking action to reduce the cost-of-living pressures on everyday Australians.