Charlotte Walker (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. The Albanese Labor government is focused on the things that Australians are focused on—providing cost-of-living relief and strengthening Medicare, just to name a few. What is the government doing to deliver on our commitments to the Australian people?

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

Thank you to my fellow South Australian Senator Walker for that excellent question—and welcome to our American friends. Welcome to the Australian Senate.

Our government, the Albanese government, is building on our record in our first term, focused on delivering our commitments to the Australian people to ease cost-of-living pressures, and that focus puts us in stark contrast with those opposite, who, really, have spent this week focused on themselves—on that side, division; and, on this side, delivering. Division and delivery.

Just in this fortnight we have passed our payday super bill to require employers to pay workers super at the same time as salary and wages. We've passed Baby Priya's bill, which means that parents who experience the stillbirth or death of a child will have their parental leave protected—and I want to express publicly my personal appreciation for the sensitivity shown by Ms Ley, Senator Hume and others in their comments on this matter. We have strengthened Medicare with the largest investment since its inception, through Labor's tripled bulk-billing incentives. We are giving women better access to affordable contraceptive options through our landmark women's health package. We're making cheaper medicines even cheaper.

And this government backs high wages. We back higher wages after a decade in which lower wages were a deliberate design feature of those opposite. We've delivered income tax cuts for every taxpayer, with more to come, and we are cutting student debt by 20 per cent because we on this side of the chamber want to make sure Australians earn more and keep more of what they earn. That's right—earn more and keep more of what they earn. It's a far cry from the divided rabble opposite, who have forgotten about the people they represent.

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

Senator Walker, first supplementary?

Charlotte Walker (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In May the Australian people voted for a government that would focus on the things that really matter to Australians, like building more homes and making it easier for Australians to buy them. How is the government delivering on its commitment to make it easier for more Australians to access the security of homeownership?

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

Senator Walker rightly focused on housing as one of the issues in her first speech. We took to the election an ambitious plan to build more houses and to make it easier for Australians to buy a home of their own. Unlike those opposite, who neglected housing for a decade, this government is making it easier for Australians to achieve the security of homeownership.

Unfortunately, the Liberals and the Nationals still don't take housing seriously. The reality is no-one can actually keep up with their policies. On Monday, Senator Bragg declared, 'We can pretty much close the book on the coalition's disastrous super-for-housing policy,' but he forgot to share his plans with his mate Mr Wilson, who was continuing his campaign to let young people raid their retirement incomes. It's all pretty embarrassing—and it would never happen under a Wilson government, would it, Senator Bragg!

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

Senator Walker, second supplementary?

Charlotte Walker (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Albanese government is focusing on building on the strong foundation of its first term to keep delivering for Australians. What progress is the government making, and what are the obstacles to that progress?

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

I'm asked about obstacles to progress, and, to be honest, there they are. They're sitting across from me in this chamber: an opposition entirely focused on infighting, an opposition in which, according to earlier reports, we've seen senior Liberals—Senator Cash, Senator Duniam, Senator Paterson—all arguing to dump net zero and their response on climate. They've made it pretty obvious where they're headed, but, unfortunately, it's not where the leader is headed. It's not where Ms Ley is headed. So how are Australians meant to believe the Liberals when the Liberals don't even believe in their own leader? This is not a credible party of government.

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

Minister Wong, please resume your seat. Senator Ruston?

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would ask you, on relevance, if maybe you could direct the leader back to the question that was asked by her own side.

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

I believe the minister is being relevant to the question which was asked.

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

This is not the behaviour of a credible party of government. I rarely agree with a headline in the Australianalmost never!—but 'the worst performance in 40 years' had a ring of truth. (Time expired)