Ellie Whiteaker (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. In its first term, the Albanese Labor government laid a strong foundation to build Australia's future. We did this by delivering cost-of-living relief, strengthening Medicare, making it easier to get a home and helping Australians earn more and keep more of what they earn. How is the government building on these foundations to continue to deliver for the Australian people?

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

Thank you to Senator Whiteaker for the question and for drawing attention to the strong foundation that we laid in our first term. I'm very pleased to report that the government has spent the six months since the election delivering for the Australian people. In the first sitting fortnight of this parliament, we legislated our commitment to cut 20 per cent off student debt for more than 5½ million Australian students and apprentices. The first round of students are already starting to benefit from this cost-of-living measure. In August, we legislated to protect penalty rates and overtime pay, and we've expanded paid parental leave by a further two weeks. We've started rolling out our biggest ever investment into Medicare, with more bulk-billing for more Australians, delivering new incentives so more GP practices can bulk-bill every patient. And we are building on the success of the Medicare urgent care clinics by opening even more of these clinics around the country.

In the first term we slashed the cost of medicines on the PBS, and in the new year Australians will have access to even cheaper medicines because we on this side understand what this means to so many Australians. We understand what the cost of PBS scripts means, so from 1 January 2026 the cost of a PBS script will be cut to the lowest price since 2004, down to just $25 and $7.70 for pensioners and concession card holders. That's because we believe that no Australian should have to forgo the medicine they need because they can't afford it.

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

Senator Whiteaker, first supplementary?

Ellie Whiteaker (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australians have faced some tough challenges in recent years, particularly regarding cost-of-living pressures. Working together, we've seen the government's responsible economic management help ensure inflation has come down, real wages have grown and unemployment remains low. What is the government doing to help Australians continue to 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

(—) (): As Senator Whiteaker reminds us, we have spent the last six months building on the strong economic foundations that the government delivered and built in our first term. We all know what the Liberal Party thinks. We all know that the Liberals believe that low wages are a deliberate design feature of the country's economic agenda. They are for low wages; we are for higher wages. And, when it comes to income tax cuts, who can forget the proud Dutton opposition championing higher taxes at the last election? In contrast, we, the Labor government, are delivering income tax cuts for every Australian taxpayer, with more to come. On 1 July we delivered another wage increase for aged-care workers, introduced paid prac for the next generation of nurses, teachers, social workers and midwives and delivered bonuses for tradies. You want higher taxes and lower wages. We want— (Time expired)

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

Senator Whiteaker, second supplementary?

Ellie Whiteaker (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Albanese Labor government is focused on building on our first-term foundation to build Australia's future. This includes the need to drive down emissions while delivering cheaper, reliable energy. What progress is the government making to build on that progress, and are there any threats that might stand in the way?

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

We understand the importance of certainty. We understand the importance of certainty—policy certainty—to deliver affordable energy. We understand the importance of energy bill relief, which is why we delivered relief; they opposed it. It's why we are focused on adding supply to the system and, as I said, providing certainty. Support and certainty—that's what we're delivering.

What are they delivering? More division. They haven't learnt the lesson of the last election, and they certainly haven't changed. We've got the shadow minister for energy gaslighting his moderate colleagues like Senator Ruston and Senator Bragg about coal, and we have Senator Hanson with her new best friend and apparent successor, Mr Joyce, reportedly coming up with the Liberals' energy policy over dinner. How embarrassing! You have your energy policy worked out by Senator Hanson and Mr Joyce. This is what the Liberal Party has been reduced to. You're being dictated to by others. You can't— (Time expired)