Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The very first question really framed what was going to happen with the opposition questions today. And the very first response from Senator Gallagher, the Minister for Finance, really nailed on the head what this budget is all about. Senator Gallagher said in response to that first question that this budget is about making sure that generations of the future get a fair go. That's what it's all about. She went on to say that the opposition's response to that is to say no. They're already saying no. What exactly are they saying no to? They're saying no to future generations. They're saying no to fairness.

Last night, the Treasurer stood in the House and handed down a budget for the times that we're living through—not a budget written as though the world is calm, not a budget that pretends families are not under pressure and not a budget that says hard things can be left for another day. This is a budget that meets the moment. It helps people now, and it builds for the future. Australia is facing a serious global oil shock caused by the conflict in the Middle East. Australians did not choose this conflict. They do not control the global oil price, but they feel it in the cost of freight, at the bowser and in the family budget. The job of government is not to stand back and hope for the best; the job of government is to act. That is exactly what this budget does. It more than halves the fuel excise for three months, reduces the heavy vehicle road user charge to zero and invests in fuel security, cleaner fuels and stronger supply chains. That is resilience in practice: help now and strength for the future.

This budget is also about workers. Labor believes that, if you work hard, you should be able to get ahead. That is a simple promise. For too many Australians, it has been harder to believe. That is why this budget delivers a thousand-dollar instant tax deduction from 2026-27. It also delivers the new $250 Working Australians Tax Offset from 2027-28. In Tasmania, my home state, around 140,000 workers are expected to benefit from the instant deduction and around 270,000 workers are expected to benefit from the Working Australians Tax Offset. This is money going back to workers. It is a recognition that people who earn a wage, pay their bills and keep this country moving deserve a tax system that works better for them.

That brings me to housing. If there is one issue that cuts through in every community, it is the fear that the dream of owning a home is slipping away, and a Labor government cannot accept that. This budget says that we need more homes and we need to build them faster. It invests a further $2 billion in housing enabling-infrastructure—the roads, the water, the power and the sewerage that make new housing possible. Tasmania will be eligible for $50 million through this fund. Supply is the main game, but it's not the whole thing. The tax system has pushed too much investment into existing homes while too many first home buyers are locked out. (Time expired)