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

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator McAllister. This week, the Treasurer delivered the Albanese Labor government's fifth budget which continues the work of strengthening Medicare for all Australians. How is the government continuing to make health care more affordable and accessible after a decade of cuts and neglect?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Ananda-Rajah for this question and for your advocacy for public health. The Albanese government is investing so that all Australians can get the help that they need when they need it. This budget furthers that work to strengthen Medicare and deliver real cost-of-living relief to families all around Australia. We're making Medicare urgent care clinics permanent, locking in access to public health care right around the country. It takes the pressure of emergency rooms and public hospitals, and it makes it so much easier for families. Senator O'Neill would be pleased to know that we will deliver up to six new fully bulk billing GP clinics in the Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Lower Hunter and Central Coast areas. Now, these communities have historically had low bulk-billing rates, and so we are bringing bulk-billed, accessible healthcare directly to them, and all they will need is a Medicare card.

We're going to deliver more upgrades to My Health Record so patients and health professionals can access health data in better ways. We're protecting older Australians from higher out-of-pocket costs for intravitreal eye injections, and we are stepping up our efforts to close the gap, improving health infrastructure across Aboriginal community controlled health services and increasing investment in culturally safe mental health support and for birthing on country.

Free public hospitals are a cornerstone of Medicare, and that is why we are delivering $25 billion in additional Commonwealth funding. That is $25 billion in additional funding for our public hospitals and the doctors and nurses who are the backbone of our public health system. It is three times more additional funding than under the last five-year agreement of Commonwealth funding for state-run hospitals, and it will reach a record $220 billion in the period— (Time expired)

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

The PBS is a cornerstone of Australia's universal health system because Australians should not have to choose between the medicines they need and paying their bills. How is the Albanese Labor government delivering more cheaper medicines for all Australians?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The budget delivers significant investments to secure the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. That'll mean that families right across Australia will get access to the life-changing medicines that they need, at cheaper prices. Our reforms to make medicines cheaper have already saved Australians more than $2.5 billion since 2022.

In this budget, the Albanese government will be pressing on with our work to make medicines cheaper and more accessible. We're continuing new and amended medicines listings on the PBS, including for cystic fibrosis, chronic kidney disease, various cancers and more. We're ensuring free access to the respiratory syncytial virus vaccine for older Australians through the National Immunisation Program and we're delivering measures to increase childhood vaccination rates through an enhanced immunisation campaign, SMS reminders and growing the National Immunisation Program Vaccinations in Pharmacy.

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

Senator Ananda-Rajah, second supplementary question?

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

When it comes to getting quality health care, all you should need is your Medicare card, not your credit card. How do the new measures to strengthen Medicare in the budget complement other actions the Albanese Labor government has taken to deliver affordable health care for all Australians? Why has the government chosen this approach?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In May last year, the Australian people made a very clear choice. They voted for a government that would stand up for universal health care. The measures in this budget complement the largest-ever investment in the history of Medicare, $8.5 billion.

Since our investment started on 1 November 2025, there are now nearly 3,800 Medicare bulk-billing practices nationwide, and over 1,200 of those were previously mixed billing. People are very quiet over there, but I do want to make this point: at these clinics, all you will need is your Medicare card. That means that more and more people will be able to see a GP and fewer and fewer people will have to resort to sitting in their local emergency department. That is what delivering for everyday Australians actually means. Labor is focused on the needs of the Australian people while those over there are focused on themselves. (Time expired)

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

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. Will the minister assure the Australian people unequivocally that the Albanese government will not introduce a tax on inheritance?

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

():  I congratulate Senator Ruston on her first question for some time. I think it's been a couple of months, hasn't it, Senator Ruston, since you've been given a question? So I appreciate the opportunity to respond to you at this point.

I note that, given the coalition's inability to actually contest the budget, you know when to contest what is not in the budget. We have been very clear about what we are doing and what we are not doing, and what you are asking us about is something we are not doing and we do not intend to do.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

I'll just wait for order.

Senator Hume! Senator Ruston, first supplementary question?

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

Will the minister assure the Australian people unequivocally that the Albanese government will not oppose any new taxes on the family home?

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

I refer to my first answer. They're so worried about the budget that we've handed down because it is such a good budget for this country that they are now resorting, on the second day after the budget has been handed down, to asking a range of questions which they know are not things that this government is doing and not things that this government will do.

Now, I'm asked about the family home, and I would say to Senator Ruston that I think Australians know which is the party that looks to the welfare and benefit of Australian workers and their families, which is the party that makes sure Australian families get Medicare, get decent education, get access to the services they need and have access to decent wages. That is the Australian Labor Party, which is why we are where we are and why you are in coalition with One Nation.

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

Senator Ruston, second supplementary question?

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

Minister, the Prime Minister ruled out changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax more than 50 times before the election. As recently as August last year, he looked Australians in the eye and reaffirmed that there would be no changes. Then budget night came and he betrayed the Australian people. Minister, why should the Australian people believe a single word that your government says, because of the evidence of this budget?

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

This government always looks to do what is right for the Australian people. That is what we do. What I really enjoy is the party that pretended to be the party of lower taxes, lower debt and lower deficit—Senator Hume, now the deputy leader, led them to an election, with the man who is now the Leader of the Opposition, guaranteeing more debt, larger deficits and higher taxes. Now they want us to believe they have returned to a lower-taxing ideology, after they went to the last election saying they wanted higher taxes and more debt—quite remarkable. I would say to those opposite: maybe work out what you stand for and who you are before you start lecturing others about anything to do with policy and politics.

Tony Sheldon (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Senator Watt. Tuesday night's budget was the most responsible and also the most ambitious handed down in decades. It continued the Albanese Labor government's focus on driving wages growth and providing tax cuts for all Australians. Can the minister outline how the budget will deliver better outcomes for workers?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would love nothing more than to outline how this year's federal budget will deliver better outcomes for Australian workers. That's because our government's No. 1 focus is supporting Australian working families who are struggling with cost-of-living pressures, and a key part of that is helping them earn more and keep more of what they earn. This budget will put more money into the pockets of 13.3 million workers, with a new $250 working Australians tax offset. This offset is targeted to workers and represents the most meaningful permanent increase to the effective tax-free threshold since Labor last increased it more than a decade ago. Altogether, our five different tax cuts will benefit the average Australian worker by up to $2,816 in 2028, evening out taxation for those who earn income from work and those who earn it from owning assets.

To help workers earn more, we've announced we will again advocate to the Fair Work Commission for an economically sustainable real wage increase for our lowest-paid workers on minimum award wages. This will help almost 2.7 million workers across the country, including cleaners, retail workers, security guards and hospitality workers, many of whom rely on minimum award wages. These workers are more likely to be women, employed on a casual basis, working part-time and younger—and I know Senator Hume doesn't support working people on minimum wages.

Our government's submission to the Fair Work Commission advocating for a real wage increase is about supporting working people in Australia. This Labor government has advocated for a wage increase for minimum award wage earners each and every year we've been in government. Since coming into government, the minimum wage has increased by more than $9,000 per year. We have legislated to protect penalty and overtime rates for these same workers because it's an important part of their pay packet—something that was opposed by the Liberal-National-One Nation coalition. (Time expired)

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

Senator Sheldon, first supplementary?

Tony Sheldon (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Since 2022, the Albanese Labor government has had a very clear focus on improving the wages and conditions for millions of working Australians. Yesterday, new data was released by the ABS which showed that, under Labor, wages continue to grow above three per cent. How have wages improved under this government and what is the government doing to continue this into the future?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We know that for 10 years we had a Liberal-National party coalition government for whom low wages was a deliberate design feature of their economic policy. But things have changed under Labor. New data released by the ABS yesterday shows that annual nominal wages continue to grow above three per cent under Labor. Annual wages are growing by at least three per cent in 14 of 18 industries. Our predecessors never achieved this. At best, they could only achieve three per cent wage rises in six industries for one lonely quarter.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Can we just stop the running commentary, particularly from you, Senator Hume—I've called you a number of times—and from you, Senator Sharma. That is extremely disrespectful.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Where does the incredible shrinking coalition stand now on these matters? We know that Senator Bragg likes to reheat an old losing policy or two, old 'Fightback!' Bragg over there. This week I informed the Senate of his desire to bring back the Liberals' losing Fightback! policy. Today it seems that he's keen to bring back John Howard's losing Work Choices policy. This morning on ABC Radio National, Senator Bragg doubled down, saying:

I think we need to be looking again at the IR system.

More lower wages, more cut conditions— (Time expired)

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

I ask you to withdraw those comments about Senator Bragg.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw.

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

Senator Sheldon, second supplementary?

Tony Sheldon (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A main theme of this year's budget is dealing with intergenerational equity by improving access to housing and increasing wages. Minister, how is the Albanese Labor government helping younger workers to earn more, and why is it important that this parliament comes together to support these measures?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The independent Fair Work Commission has ruled that young adult workers should earn adult wages, and that happened under a Labor government. This government welcomes the decision to abolish junior rates of pay for 18- to 20-year-old workers in some sectors, meaning tens of thousands of young adult workers will earn more at this important time of their lives.

While we're getting on with the job of supporting younger Australians, what do we see from the endangered species of the opposition? Their week started with that catastrophic result in the Farrer by-election, recording historically low votes for the Liberal Party and the National Party in coalition heartland. Then they spent the rest of the week flip-flopping about whether they would enter a coalition with One Nation. Senator McKenzie was first out of the blocks, saying she was for it. The shadow foreign minister was against it. The shadow treasurer was for it and then he was against it. Then we saw Senator Hume on that train-wreck interview this week where this moderate Liberal eight times would not rule out going into coalition with One Nation. The truth is they're already in coalition, cutting wages, cutting housing and cutting cost-of-living relief.

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

I ask that further questions be placed on notice.