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 united and focused on delivering cost-of-living relief, delivering quality health care, helping more Australians into homeownership and delivering cheaper and cleaner energy. What is the government delivering to help Australians get ahead?

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

I thank Senator Walker not only for that question but for her strong advocacy for the people of South Australia, particularly regional South Australians and those of the Fleurieu, where she's from. And I think we would both acknowledge the bushfire that has been raging at Deep Creek since Sunday and thank all the CFS firefighters who have been working tirelessly to contain the blaze which came so close to Cape Jervis.

The question I'm asked is: how is our government delivering for Australians? Well, we've seen higher wages; the lowest average unemployment rate of any government in the last 50 years, with 1.2 million jobs created; the smallest gender pay gap on record; cost-of-living support; helping more Australians into homes—

Senator Bragg, please listen to this, because, in my home state of South Australia, we saw the Prime Minister in Adelaide announcing a landmark agreement with the Malinauskas Labor government to unlock 17,000 new homes, including 7,000 for first home buyers. On top of that, we've opened eight Medicare urgent care clinics across the state, from Mount Gambier to Elizabeth to Victor Harbor, and delivered $2 billion in additional public hospital funding, with $500 million for Flinders Medical Centre and the Repat, in partnership with Premier Malinauskas and his government. South Australians have also saved around $150 million on cheaper medicines, also opposed by you.

Every taxpayer has received a cut, with more to come, and all of this was delivered despite the trenchant opposition of the Liberals, the Nationals and One Nation—the three parties of the right, all lined up to prevent—

I'll take that interjection. 'Careful if we get together,' says the Leader of the Opposition! Well, we've seen, in this chamber, what that might look like, Senator Cash! (Time expired)

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

Australians rightly want a government that takes real action on climate change while continuing to help with cost-of-living pressures. What action is the Albanese Labor government taking to deliver important cost-of-living relief to Australians, while investing in cheaper and cleaner energy?

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

Australia is already a leader in rooftop solar—a world leader—and, thanks to the Albanese government's Cheaper Home Batteries Program, we are also making strides with battery storage, and we've taken around 30 per cent off home batteries to permanently cut power bills. Over 200,000 cheaper home batteries have been installed across Australia since 1 July. We are very proud, in South Australia, that we lead the nation, with the most installations per capita, with more than 26,000 installations. And this comes at a time when renewable energy is hitting record highs. This government has brought a record seven dispatchable gigawatts of new energy supply into the pipeline.

Of course, those opposite might like to know, with their attention to facts and details, how many equivalent gigawatts came on when the former coalition was in government: just one. So we are bringing on more power and investing in renewable energy— (Time expired)

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

Senator Walker, a second supplementary?

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

Australians want and deserve a government that focuses on the issues they care about, not division and disunity. How is the Albanese Labor government delivering? And what stands in the way?

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

I'm almost tempted to invite Senator Sterle to take my second supplementary, because he'd be funnier than I, I'm sure! He and I both know—in fact, we all know—with what energy and determination those opposite are fighting each other! We've seen the energy that they bring to opposing cost-of-living relief, energy rebates, tax cuts, higher wages—all opposed. But now their energy is directed at each other. Oh, if only their energy could possibly be directed to considering what the Australian people want! But, again—if I may just reference my home state of South Australia again—the division and disunity that we see here are very familiar to those of us from South Australia, because we have seen decades of infighting amongst the South Australian Liberals. And, of course, they rolled their state leader, just months out from an election. (Time expired)