Susan McDonald (Queensland, National Party, Shadow Minister for Resources and Northern Australia) | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, today it's seven years since I first started in the Senate—seven-year anniversary. It is an enormous privilege to come and represent the great state of Queensland and, of course, be in the Senate for all Australians. I came here because I wanted to make Australia, Queensland and my community a better place. I wanted to ensure that my children had the same quality of life that I did—the ability to get a well-paid job, to start a business, to take a risk and to do well. And yet here I stand, after seven years, horrified to tell you that, after four years of an Albanese Labor government, we are worse off. The Australian standard of living is back to 2011 levels. Indeed, the wage increases that have been promised for today will not outstrip inflation. That is the direct result of this government's out-of-control spending.

In our budget in reply, we talked through what we would do differently, but, unfortunately, the Albanese Labor government is the government, and whether it be the attacks on capital gains and negative gearing, which the Prime Minister on 50 occasions promised he wouldn't touch, whether it be the result of inflation and higher costs of living or whether it be the direct response by the RBA to increase interest rates—because that's their mandate,—at every turn Australians are worse off and doing it tougher under this Labor government.

I'm ashamed because I came here to make Australia a better place and not be a part of what's happening under Labor. I stand here firmly believing that our mission is more important today than it was seven years ago, and I'll continue to fight for Australia.

Josh Dolega (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

Now, you might be wondering what my favourite New Year celebration is. It's not the one with fireworks and it's not the one with confetti. Mine comes with spreadsheets. That's right; it's the new financial year, and this financial year we have a lot to celebrate. From today, we're giving every taxpayer another tax cut, which means people will be keeping more of what they earn. We're giving minimum wage earners a six per cent pay rise, and modern award wages a 4.75 per cent rise. We're expanding Paid Parental Leave to a full six months, and super is being paid on top of that. We're making our Medicare urgent care clinics permanent, and that means, if you need urgent care, all you need is your Medicare card. We're increasing public hospital funding. We're expanding into endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics to include menopause and perimenopause services. We're improving patient outcomes by requiring pathology and diagnostic imaging providers that they must upload test results to My Health Record.

We're introducing payday super so workers start earning returns sooner and reducing the chances that super will go unpaid. We're permanently extending the $20,000 instant asset write-off for small businesses permanently. We're banning supermarket price gouging with a new mandatory food and grocery code that prohibits very large retailers from charging prices that are significantly excessive. We're opening a new National Environmental Protection Agency, and we're establishing a new veteran wellbeing agency.

The Albanese Labor government is committed to delivering real change that matters to Australians, and we will keep working to deliver more cost-of-living help and build a more productive economy, a better tax system and a fairer housing market to help all Australians.