Michelle Ananda-Rajah (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

():  This is not my first speech. My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Minister Wong. The Albanese Labor government's No. 1 priority in its first term was addressing cost-of-living pressures facing Australians. How does the government plan to build on this approach and deliver more cost-of-living relief, in particular by making medicines cheaper?

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

Can I thank Senator Ananda-Rajah for that excellent question. I know she knows a lot about the health system and understands, as all Labor senators and members do, the importance of delivering cost-of-living relief.

In 2023 we made the largest cut to the cost of medicines in the history of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. We brought the maximum price of PBS listed medicines down from $42.50 to $30 a script, and we did this for all Australians. Australians have saved more than a billion dollars thanks to our pledge to make medicines cheaper, and now we are doing even more. My colleague Mr Butler will introduce legislation this week to cap the cost of a PBS prescription at $25 a script and continue the freeze for pensioners and concession card holders at $7.70 until the end of the decade. This government, having already made the largest reduction in the price of medicines in the 75-year history of the PBS, is now delivering a further election commitment and delivering more cost-of-living relief to Australians—in particular, to pensioners—because we on this side believe that no Australian should have to skip the medicines their doctor says they need just because they can't afford it.

We all remember how those opposite responded to the Albanese Labor government's implementation of cheaper medicines. We all remember what they did. What can we remember? They opposed it. They opposed it all. They voted against cheaper medicines for Australians. They voted against more money in the pockets of Australians. They voted, over and over again, against cost-of-living relief for Australians. They still haven't listened and they still haven't learnt.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Ananda-Rajah, first supplementary?

Michelle Ananda-Rajah (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

During its first term and throughout the recent election campaign, the Albanese Labor government pledged to support Australians with the cost of living by helping them earn more and keep more of what they earn. The government has advocated for four increases to the minimum wage since coming to office, and minimum wages increased by a further 3½ per cent on 1 July. Why can Australians only trust Labor to help them earn more and keep more of what they earn?

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

What I would say is that Australians can trust the Albanese Labor government to help them earn more and keep more of they earn because that is what we have done. That is what we have done. We have seen wages growing. The government has delivered tax cuts for every Australian taxpayer, and we are building on that progress.

Last week the minister for industrial relations introduced a bill in the House to protect—Senator Cash, you will like this—the penalty rates and overtime rates of award reliant workers. We know these last three years have been difficult for many hardworking Australians, and we also know that low wages were a deliberate design feature of the coalition's economic policy. Unlike them, we have advocated every single year since coming to government for increases to the minimum wage for almost three million workers and, as a result, they are better off by— (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Ananda-Rajah, second supplementary?

Michelle Ananda-Rajah (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Albanese Labor government is committed to continuing to deliver responsible cost-of-living relief that helps Australians. How is the government building on its first term cost-of-living relief measures to provide even more relief for Australians?

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

The government introduced legislation, as you know, that will cut student debts by 20 per cent, a change that will benefit three million Australians and will make HECS repayments fairer, benefiting millions more students in the years to come—people who are not even at university yet. The government has increased paid parental leave to 24 weeks. We've increased individual and family income limits so more Australians can benefit. Superannuation will now be paid on all government paid parental leave. We've also introduced the Commonwealth prac payment for students in crucial fields like nursing, midwifery, teaching and social work to take pressure off when they are flat out doing prac placements while trying to pay the bills. We are supporting new tradies who take up apprenticeships in housing construction, who will receive $10,000 incentive payments on top of their wages.

What is clear from the last term and from the approach in this term is that Labor is for cost-of-living relief and the Liberals are for higher taxes.