Basem Abdo
Calwell · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“The World Cup is a festival of football, and I'm proud of our government's backing through the Urban Precincts and Partnerships Program, which helped bring the world game to the big screens at Town Hall Broadmeadows, alongside our local partners.”
“We know Australia for what it is—a nation built by people who have come from every corner of the world seeking opportunity, working hard, raising families and helping build a better life for themselves and in turn helping build Australia.”
“I happened to graduate from the same school as Aziz and members of his family, and shared a university class with one of his siblings. Some of his earlier moments in the football journey were at one of our local clubs, Hume City, before going on to represent Australia on the world stage as a Socceroo.”
“We believe in an Australia that's confident in its diversity and strengthened by the contributions of people from every corner of the world who have chosen to make this country home.”
“When it comes to cost-of-living support, we're supporting first home buyers get a foothold into the market because we see homeownership for what it is—helping families get the stability they need in attaining the security of a home.”
“The Albanese Labor government is delivering for working families. Whether it be investments in Medicare, housing, roads, infrastructure or cost-of-living relief, we're focused on what matters.”
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“The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners estimates that general practice lost around $3.8 billion due to that freeze. And who was at the helm of that policy? The current Leader of the Opposition, then the health minister, who oversaw the continuation of that freeze and supported a GP co-payment, a policy that would have forced Australians to pay every time they saw a doctor, set in stone. In 2014-15 the coalition government proposed a $7 co-payment for GP visits and a $5 cut to that rebate, defended until public outrage forced its withdrawal. That's the Liberal record on health: freezes, fees and funding cuts. It left GP clinics struggling, bulk-billing collapsing, and patients paying the price, in money and in health. Labor is rebuilding Medicare from the ground up.”
“I rise to support the motion moved by the member for Lalor and I thank her for her commitment to her community and to protecting and strengthening Medicare, one of the proudest achievements in our national story. When Labor came to government in 2022 it had never been harder or more expensive to find a doctor. Bulk-billing was in freefall. After nearly a decade of coalition cuts and neglect, the very foundation of our universal healthcare system was eroding. That is the legacy of those opposite: a neglected health system that led to bad health outcomes, longer wait times and Australians paying more out of pocket for care that should have been free. Under the coalition, Medicare rebates were frozen for six years, stripping billions from primary care and making it harder for doctors to bulk-bill.”
“SBS, a multicultural, multilingual, national public broadcaster no less, an institution which Australians are rightly proud of, which considers itself the home of Australian multiculturalism and which is meant to be promoting and contributing to our social cohesion, has actively chosen to pursue a hardline editorial approach—an interventionist, activist approach. Multiculturalism is more than just cuisine and costumes. If multiculturalism stops at the buffet table, then it's not inclusion; it's performance. The news should be as it is.”
“We can't reach net zero without industry and we can't build a strong economy without the jobs, skills and capabilities that manufacturing delivers. That's why Labor is rebuilding the foundations of this nation with secure jobs, sovereign capability and a future made in Australia by Australians for Australians. I want to raise another matter here today. It has been reported that SBS has instructed its editorial staff not to use the word 'Palestine' in news stories, despite this government taking the historic step of recognising the State of Palestine. In contrast, fellow public broadcaster the ABC has updated its own policies. It's a position shared by the global majority of UN states.”
“Today they still can't agree on even the basics—on whether climate change is real, let alone how to seize the opportunities of a changing world. And then, without any sense of self-awareness, we get the leader of the National Party in this place today putting forward an MPI that talks about—what? About the devastation of industries and manufacturing across Australia. You can't make this stuff up. He should take that to the coalition party room. Labor is governing with purpose. We're rebuilding our industrial strength, through the $22.7 billion Future Made in Australia agenda, the Industry Sector Plan and new investments like the Net Zero Fund and the Green Iron Investment Fund, to give heavy industry the certainty it needs to transform and thrive, because a strong manufacturing sector and a strong climate policy go hand in hand.”
“Good policy and stable policy, backed by a vision that backs Australian industry and Australian workers, matters. It's the foundation that gives business the confidence to invest in industrial decarbonisation and energy efficiency, in new technologies and in the renewable energy infrastructure that will power our future. That stability never came under the Liberals. They wasted a decade. In fact, they did worse than that; they actively helped destroy Australian industry that delivered for Australian jobs. It was a decade of underinvestment in innovation, of stripping investment from our nation-building energy projects and of missed opportunities for regions, where jobs are concentrated in heavy industry.”
“For that long, miserable close to a decade, the Liberals turned their backs on Australian manufacturing. They shut down our car industry. They stripped away industry programs. In the last election, they even campaigned to defund the National Reconstruction Fund, the very vehicle designed to rebuild our sovereign industrial capability. They have never believed in Australian industry, let alone had a plan to make it more innovative, productive or resilient. Instead they spent their years in government locked in an endless internal war over climate and energy policy. And what was the result? It was 22 discarded climate and energy policies, one after another, leaving industry paralysed, investors uncertain and our energy system weaker than ever.”
“One of the reasons I'm in this House is that I believe passionately in Australia's manufacturing future—in the idea that a strong nation makes things, builds things and backs its people to do it. The pandemic taught us a brutal lesson. If we think we can prosper as a nation without our own sovereign manufacturing capability, if we think we can just rely on global supply chains and hope everything will be okay, we're fooling ourselves. When the world shut down, we saw how fragile things really were. Shelves were empty, supply chains buckled, and industries that once anchored our economy were allowed to wither. That didn't happen by accident. It was the legacy of neglect and the deliberate undoing of Australian industry by those opposite.”
“My question is to the Minister for Skills and Training. How is the Albanese Labor government's free TAFE program helping Australians to pursue new qualifications and careers? How have Australians responded to free TAFE?”
“I'll give you a tip: marginalising, demonising and ostracising members of our community does not enhance national security. We've seen them demonise our proud Australian Indian community. We've seen it in those who speak about being 'estranged' but won't utter by whom. But I suspect they're more estranged from the shadow frontbench now instead. We've seen it by those who've said that Islamophobia is 'fictitious'—it's not real—and by others who say it doesn't exist in society. The Liberal Party of today is being rightly described as being governed by the far right and the further right. What we, the Albanese Labor government, are proud to defend in this place is social cohesion and to protect our multiculturalism so that all Australians feel safe, valued and recognised.”
“I had the opportunity to attend one such school through my visit to the Craigieburn Nepalese Community, an organisation which does a mountain of work helping the community in various aspects, from sports, recreation and schools: through to initiatives such as support for new arrivals and parents, and the prevention of family violence. For us, multiculturalism isn't just about celebratory occasions. We fight for multiculturalism because we fight for modern Australia. As the Minister for Home Affairs has said, 'modern Australia and multicultural Australia are the same thing'. We've seen the Liberals do their best to undermine our multiculturalism. They talk about safety but use every opportunity to make Australians feel less safe.”
“That goes for other ministers in this portfolio—international education, multicultural affairs, small business, international development and immigration with foreign affairs. We take a holistic approach to this important portfolio. This budget continues to fund that work, investing in programs that strengthen social cohesion, counter racism and celebrate the cultural and linguistic diversity that defines modern Australia. This includes over $190,000 that's been provided for community language schools in my electorate of Calwell over the last two years.”
“Language is not just a communication form; it is about culture, connection and belonging for communities and actually adds to our people-to-people links and our relationships with the world and with our region. That belief runs through this budget, backed not just in principle but in practice. For the first time in Australia's history, the Albanese Labor government has elevated the standalone position of the Minister for Multicultural Affairs to cabinet. I want to thank the Minister for Multicultural Affairs for her work in this space and for her engagement on matters which really go to the heart of our approach to this issue—not as a marginal side issue but as one that goes hand in hand with who we are as a country and equally our place in the world.”
“This government believes that every person, regardless of background and faith, wherever they're from or wherever their parents may have been born, deserves to feel safe, values and respected, free from prejudice and free from discrimination. It puts multiculturalism at the centre of our body politic, our institutions, so that it's not an add-on but an essential part of the formulation and delivery of policies and programs, particularly under the Home Affairs portfolio. Since 2023 the Albanese Labor government has invested $15 million to support 600 community language schools, reaching 90,000 students learning 84 languages nationwide. This budget adds a further $25 million, giving thousands more children the chance to learn another language, connect with their culture and grow their sense of pride and identity as Australians.”
“I rise to speak on Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026, which delivers a budget that continues the Albanese Labor government's unwavering commitment to multiculturalism, to fairness, to inclusion and to belonging for every Australian. I have not heard the speakers opposite mention anything today about how proud they are of Australia. It's all threats and fear. Our vision and our approach—an approach we are delivering for Australia—is instead about inclusion and opportunity, things that actually contribute to our national security. I'm proud to serve in the most diverse government this parliament has ever seen. This matters.”
“I will continue to fight for policies and programs that give every young person in our community the chance to live out their potential and to tackle every opportunity, engage in study, work and build independent lives. I congratulate the students, teachers and all staff at Elevation Secondary College for their ongoing commitment to continuous learning and academic excellence.”
“Elevation is a school that lives its vision: to be an inclusive, outward-looking community committed to improving student learning, wellbeing and outcomes for every young person. The school values are clearly lived out by the students I met, who represented this school with pride and with purpose. The student leaders I met are amongst our community's brightest, and Elevation is helping to grow the next generation of our leaders: young people who are not only academically capable but also community minded, outward-looking and determined to make a difference. That is why I'm so proud to represent Calwell, a place that embodies the values of fairness, opportunity and solidarity.”
“These are disturbing figures, but they are not just numbers; they represent neighbours, friends, colleagues and families in every community. The truth is the cycle of violence can only be broken by education, prevention and cultural change; that is why what I saw at Kolbe mattered so much. Education leadership provided for and by young Australians, like that shown by students in my community, is the key to ending this awful cycle of abuse. I congratulate the students, teachers and staff at Kolbe for the incredible work done to highlight such an important social issue and for their ongoing advocacy—a truly grassroots effort, real action on the ground, one step at a time. I recently had the pleasure of visiting Elevation Secondary College in Craigieburn, where I met with the student leadership team.”
“At Kolbe Catholic College in my electorate, I had the pleasure of joining students, teachers and staff for the school's feast-day celebrations, which included a walk against domestic violence. Dressed in purple, carrying the words 'Not now, not ever', students took to the streets to send a powerful message: violence has no place in our homes, in our schools or in our community. The statistics show why this leadership shown by the school was so critical. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reports that one in four women and one in 14 men have experienced a form of violence from an intimate partner since the age of 15, nearly a quarter of women and 14 per cent of men have experienced emotional abuse by a partner and more than 1.6 million women and 745,000 men have endured economic abuse.”
“My question is to the Minister for Housing, Minister for Homelessness and Minister for Cities. What is the Albanese Labor government doing to address housing challenges? And is the minister aware of any risks to the government's plans?”
“We will help you move from renting to owning sooner.' This is fairness. This is aspiration. This is Labor making the Australian dream of home ownership real again. It is about turning rent payments into mortgage payments so that people who are building equity in their own home can secure their futures. The Albanese Labor government is doing what good governments should do, and my community has already shown that our policies can transform lives. Calwell has the fifth highest take-up rate of any electorate in the country under the home owners guarantee scheme. It shows that Labor and this government, the Albanese Labor government, understand the circumstances and aspirations of working Australians in Calwell and right across Australia.”
“I'm incredibly proud to be part of a government that is determined to take real action with the cost of living, and one of the biggest cost-of-living factors facing Australians and those in my community is the cost of housing and owning your own home. That's why Labor's five per cent home owners guarantee is so important, and it's why the program is going to be extended to all first home buyers. My community understands the value of housing—not just the dollar figures but the value it provides for families, the sense of purpose, the sense of security and the sense of place. With this reform, we are telling first home buyers: 'The Albanese Labor government is on your side. We will cut the years you need to save. We will stop you from being penalised with costly lenders mortgage insurance.”
“Housing is about more than supply-and-demand charts. It is about whether Australians believe that, if they work hard, they can build a better future. With this reform, we are telling first home buyers: The Albanese Labor government is on your side. We will cut the years you need to save. We will stop you being penalised with costly mortgage insurance. We will help you move from renting to owning sooner. This is fairness. This is aspiration. This is Labor making the Australian dream of homeownership real again.”
“You have to ask: what were those opposite doing in the near-decade they were in government? This housing challenge was avoidable, yet they did nothing about it, preferring to fight culture and climate wars instead of building homes for Australians. Still, those opposite continue to stand in the way. The coalition voted against Help to Buy, they promised to abolish the very scheme that is helping people into homes right now, they refused to back our commitment to 100,000 homes for first home buyers and, after nearly a decade of neglect in office, the opposition have still learnt nothing. They gave us just 373 social and affordable homes in a decade. Contrast that with the half a million built under Labor in just three years. The choice could not be clearer. Labor is on the side of first home buyers; the opposition is not.”
“In the first term of this government, we took the Commonwealth from being an indifferent, irresponsible bystander under the coalition to being the boldest and most ambitious federal government on housing in generations. We have done this while delivering results. More than 180,000 first home buyers have already used our lower deposit scheme. Around 6,000 more first home buyer loans are in each year under Labor than during the near-decade of coalition government. In the first year alone, Australians are expected to avoid more than $1.5 billion in lenders mortgage insurance costs because of these reforms. This is real money back in the pockets of families, particularly young families. It is real hope restored to those who thought homeownership was beyond reach.”
“We know this alone won't fix the crisis that has been decades in the making. The long-term solution is to build more homes and to address housing supply. That is why our $43 billion housing agenda includes 55,000 new social and affordable homes, 10,000 homes dedicated to first home buyers, 80,000 long-lease rentals to give renters security and a national aspiration to build 1.2 million homes in five years in partnerships with the states, territories and industry. We're also backing the workforce with fee-free TAFE and a $10,000 incentive for new apprentices in priority trades so we have the skilled tradies needed to deliver. This is the most ambitious housing program since the Second World War.”
“Demand is not concentrated in just the inner suburbs of our major cities; it is spread across our suburbs. It's in the outer suburbs, in the regions and in communities right across the country. This is why removing the old income caps and increasing the property caps matters so much. In practice, these changes mean a nurse or a teacher in my community, who may earn just above the previous threshold, will now be eligible. It means that, instead of being restricted to buying a small flat far away from their support networks, first home buyers can now look at homes that meet their needs and reflect real prices in their areas. These changes are about fairness, but they are also about common sense. They make the scheme usable, accessible and relevant to more Australians.”
“In electorates like Calwell, the demand for this scheme is among the highest in the country. This reform is not theory; it's the difference between a dream deferred and a dream realised. In my own electorate, this policy is already making a difference. Between May 2022 and April of this year, 1,430 households in Calwell have taken up the Home Guarantee Scheme. That means another 2,360 people in my community are now homeowners, thanks to Labor's reforms. Calwell has the fifth highest take-up in the entire country. That shows how families in my electorate are responding to the Albanese Labor government's reforms aimed at providing security of homeownership, and it proves that extending this scheme to everyone is the right policy approach. The fact that Calwell ranks fifth nationally for take-up tells us something, too.”
“Under Labor's reforms, that same young worker would need $46,000. Additionally, they'd avoid tens of thousands in mortgage insurance, and, crucially, they'd be investing in their own future sooner instead of paying rent, week after week. Or take a young family in my electorate, raising kids and saving every spare cent. With the median house price in Calwell at about $832,500, a 20 per cent deposit is almost $167,000. Even families who manage to save that much still face huge barriers because, on top of it, they risk losing another $30,000 to $35,000 in lenders mortgage insurance. This is the fundamental unfairness our government is tackling—the unfairness for Australians who do everything right but still find themselves locked out of homeownership.”
“Instead of needing nearly $170,000 up front, a first home buyer would need just $42,000. They will avoid paying around $34,000 in lenders mortgage insurance to a bank. That is not just policy on paper; it is life changing reform for ordinary Australians—a game changer for millions of Australians. Think of a young apprentice in my community, living at home with their parents while saving for the future. In my community, most often, they don't have access to the bank of mum and dad. They're working hard and putting money aside each week, but with Melbourne's median house price sitting at around $922,500, the old 20 per cent deposit meant needing about $185,000 up front. For many in my electorate that could take more than a decade to save, and by then the dream of homeownership has often slipped away.”
“From 1 October this year, three months earlier than promised, every first home buyer will be able to purchase with a five per cent deposit. Single parents will continue to be supported to buy with as little as two per cent. This is about cutting years off the time it takes to save. It is about avoiding thousands of dollars in what is so often inhibitive with the lenders mortgage insurance, and it is about turning rent payments into mortgage payments so people are building equity in their own home. This policy provides a real opportunity for all Australians looking to buy their first home. For a median priced home in Australia, of around $844,000, it can take up to 13 years to save the old 20 per cent deposit. Thanks to Labor's reforms, that wait is cut by up to eight years.”
“Owning your own home is a shared dream for most Australians. There is the joy associated with a home, but, importantly, there is a sense of stability and security. I want that for all Australians who aspire to it. We know that people are working hard, doing everything right—saving, renting and sacrificing—and still, for too many, the dream of owning a home seems out of reach. This is not just an economic challenge; it is about whether Australians feel secure in their future. It is about whether young people believe they can enjoy the opportunities their parents had. It's about whether single parents or young couples starting a family can put down roots in a community they love. That is why the Albanese Labor government has taken bold action.”
“We are defending the PBS from external threats, and we are ensuring that every Australian, no matter their means, has the chance to live a healthy, productive life. This is Labor's vision for a fairer Australia. It is a vision where your health is not determined by your bank balance, where families in my community and in every suburb and town in this nation can afford the medicines they need and where future generations can look back and say: 'We did not let the PBS be weakened or sold off. We defended it, we strengthened it and we passed it on.' At its heart, the PBS is about the dignity of every Australian, and Labor will always defend that dignity.”
“We are freezing PBS prices for pensioners through to the end of this decade, and we are ensuring that the foundations of our healthcare system remain strong not just for today's Australians but for generations to come. The PBS is not perfect. It will continue to evolve as new medicines and new treatments emerge. But it is, without question, one of the most important pillars of our healthcare system. It is a cornerstone of fairness, a cornerstone of dignity and a cornerstone of what it means to live in a healthy, civil society. This bill reaffirms Labor's commitment to that cornerstone. We are cutting the cost of medicines to $25 a script. We are delivering over $200 million in annual savings.”
“The lesson is simple: when Australians get access to the medicines they need, they live healthier, longer and more productive lives. They can work. They can care for their families. They can participate fully in society. That is why cheaper medicines are not just a social good; they are an economic imperative. This bill is part of a bigger picture of Labor's broader health and cost-of-living agenda. The Albanese Labor government is committed to tackling the cost-of-living crisis head-on. We are making medicine cheaper. We are strengthening Medicare. We are investing in the health workforce through free TAFE and paid practical placements for nursing and midwifery students.”
“It is an Australian solution built on Australian values, protecting Australian families, and we will defend it. Beyond the scheme's priorities and central purpose of the health of Australians, there are economic and productivity benefits. Cheaper medicines are not just good for the hip pocket; they are good for our economy. In 2024, the Productivity Commission released research showing that advances in new medicines were directly linked to measurable productivity growth in Australia's healthcare system. We've recently seen productivity grow by about three per cent per year in areas such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, blood and metabolic disorders and kidney and urinary disease. These are areas that together account to one-third of all healthcare expenditure.”
“No matter your wealth, no matter where you live, you deserve access to medicine that keeps you healthy, keeps you working and keeps you with your family. This is who we are. This is what makes us proud. We have to defend our healthcare system from those opposite and from those abroad, and it is precisely because the PBS is so effective that it is under attack from outside our borders. We now face threats of tariffs on Australian pharmaceuticals, punishing our nation for running a fair and affordable medicine system. The Prime Minister said it plainly: 'The PBS is not for sale.' The health minister has been just as clear: 'We will not negotiate away cheaper medicines.' That's because the PBS is not just a line in a budget; it reflects who we are as Australians.”
“From next year, she will pay only $25 for her life-changing medicine. She described it as a 'welcome relief'. In her words: It's so refreshing to hear about the cost of something you need to function dropping. That's what this bill is about: tangible, everyday relief; life-changing, life-extending relief. Our PBS is a cherished Australian institution. This bill matters because of the accessibility of medicines and the dollars saved but also because of what it says about us as a nation. It is no exaggeration to say that the PBS is a practical expression of the Australian value of egalitarianism. The health of our society can be measured by how we value the health of our people. A basic commitment that every Australian should have access to cheaper medicine that is vital to their wellbeing is a foundation stone of our national character.”
“It is important to be clear: we are talking about the prescriptions people rely on every day for chronic illnesses and life-threatening conditions. Over 1.7 million scripts each year are written for asthma medicines. There are more than 860,000 scripts for Eliquis, which helps prevent strokes. There are those used by thousands for type 2 diabetes, heart failure and chronic kidney disease. There are over one million scripts written annually for the menopause drug Estradiol. This means real practical relief. And there are stories behind every one of these numbers. Take Taya Purves, who spoke to the ABC. She has cystic fibrosis, a condition that requires multiple prescription medicines to manage, including breakthrough drugs. She said she currently spends more than $240 a month just on scripts.”
“She told my office: For many in this community, it would be very difficult to afford their healthcare without subsidised medicines. Some are on five or more medications at once. Without the PBS, they wouldn't be able to afford their scripts. That means they wouldn't take their medicines. That means they would end up in hospital. That's the reality. When medicines are affordable, people simply stay healthy. They don't miss doses. They don't skip scripts. They don't turn up at emergency wards with preventable complications. This is dignity in practice. This is the PBS at work. And Rayan is right: making medicines cheaper doesn't just save families money; it saves our entire health system money, because prevention is always cheaper than responding to crisis.”
“In 2023, Labor delivered the biggest cut in PBS history, lowering the co-payment from $42.50 to $30. In 2025 we froze the co-payment, protecting Australians from inflation, for the first time in 25 years. For pensioners and concession card holders, the cost of PBS medicine is now frozen at $7.70, all the way through to 2030. This is real relief for families, pensioners and workers in my community of Calwell and right across Australia, and it delivers certainty, alongside the certainty that we will always fight to protect it. Our reforms have a real, tangible, local impact. What matters most is what this means for people in our communities. In my community, local pharmacist Rayan engages every day with people who live on low incomes, many juggling multiple health conditions.”
“The medical profession challenged it in the High Court. The legislation was struck down, but Labor did not give up. In 1946, Australians were asked at a referendum whether the Commonwealth should have the power to legislate for pharmaceutical benefits and other social services. The answer was yes. Australians voted for fairness. They voted for universal healthcare. Even then the road was hard. There were more legal challenges and more delay, and it was not until 1960 that the PBS was finally rolled out in the form we know today. That is our history—hard fought, hard won and deeply cherished. From Curtin to Chifley and Arthur Calwell to Whitlam, Hawke and Keating, Labor governments have built and defended the PBS, and today the Albanese Labor government is proud to carry that legacy forward.”
“But it didn't just happen; it had to be fought for. And it was successive generations of Labor governments that made it happen. The story of the PBS stretches right back to the wartime government of John Curtin. In 1944, Australians were beginning to see the extraordinary power of the new antibiotics, penicillins. Curtin believed these medicines should not be reserved for the wealthy few. He believed they should be available to everyone. It was his successor, Prime Minister Ben Chifley, and his health minister, Arthur Calwell—the man after whom my electorate is named—who took that vision forward. In 1944, Arthur Calwell brought legislation into this parliament to establish a national pharmaceutical benefits scheme, but it was met with fierce resistance. The conservatives of the day cried 'socialised medicine'.”
“Four out of five PBS medicines will become cheaper because of this government's $689 million investment. This will have a direct and significant impact on the quality of life of millions of Australians who rely on medications to maintain their health. We should never underestimate the impact of providing cheaper, accessible medication to those in our community that need it. It's not just the individuals who rely on these medications that are beneficiaries; it is their families and communities who also benefit when those in need of medication can access it when they need it. When we look around the world and we see the sorts of challenges other countries face in meeting the medical needs of their people, we are acutely aware that Australia has built something special with its approach to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.”
“This is cost-of-living relief that matters to every Australian household—relief that shows once again that, when Labor are in government, we put the health and dignity of Australians first. I want to touch on the scale of our reforms. This bill, the National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill, reduces the PBS general patient co-payment from $31.60—an already reduced cost, again thanks to the Albanese Labor government—down to $25 from 1 January next year. This is a cut of more than 20 per cent to the maximum cost of PBS medicines. It will save Australians over $200 million every single year. As of 31 July, people in my electorate of Calwell had saved over $8.9 million, thanks to our already legislated cheaper medicines policy. And there is still more to do.”
“I want to thank the member for Whitlam for her contribution, and I'm proud to stand alongside her in support of this bill, which does precisely what it says. It delivers cheaper medicines—a simple, principled objective to be delivered by the Albanese Labor government. It's a simple, effective proposition: Australians will no longer have to pay more than $25 for any medicine on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Let's unpack that. For the first time in over two decades, essential medicines will be capped at $25 a script. Last time this was the case was in the early 2000s, back when we were all glued to our soapbox, watching Kath and Kim , and Anthony Albanese was busy campaigning for the return of his beloved South Sydney Rabbitohs to the NRL. Times have changed, but the inherent value of affordable medicines has most certainly not.”
“Liberals don't value free TAFE, just as they don't value Medicare, the NDIS or public hospitals. They would rip this away if they had the chance. Our national skills policies reflect our focus on some of the most important reforms in a generation, because, in a world of increased complexity, when Australians have the skills, Australia has the future. Free TAFE gives people a fair chance, builds the industries that keep our economy strong and delivers good jobs and secure livelihoods. That's what Labor stand for and that's why we will always back skills, training and TAFE. I want to acknowledge the work of the Minister for Skills and Training for his focus and commitment to this very important policy area.”
“And we have delivered the landmark $30 billion five-year National Skills Agreement with the states and territories, lifting skills investment right across the country. But let's be clear about the alternative. When the Liberals were in office they cut $3 billion from TAFE and vocational education, and only earlier this year, in February, they voted against the free-TAFE bill. The now leader of the opposition even called fee-free TAFE 'wasteful spending'. She went further, saying, 'If you don't pay for something, you don't value it.' Well, tell that to Christopher, to Tamani and to the 650,000 enrolees who have seized the chance to take part in free TAFE. Tell that to the student nurse in Victoria who has saved $17,776 by enrolling in a free-TAFE diploma of nursing.”
“Free TAFE is not just changing lives; it is addressing national priorities: in housing construction, where apprentices are being supported with incentive payments of up to $10,000 to take on trades like carpentry, plumbing and electrical work; in nursing and aged care, where free TAFE is training the workforce we need to care for an ageing population; and in cybersecurity, where certificate IV and diploma graduates are already working on the front line in councils, community organisations and small businesses. Labor is also delivering in other areas. We are raising the living-away-from-home allowance for apprentices, for the first time since 2003. We are increasing the disability wage support payment for employers, for the first time since 1998.”
“Kangan's facilities and teachers have been excellent. My goal is to secure work placement and eventually find a job working with light vehicles. Tamani is a mature-age student. She said: Returning to education gave me a sense of purpose and the confidence to be a role model for my son, my nieces and nephews, and my community. I was a stay-at-home mum for many years and decided to return to education so I could better my life. These are real stories from real people.”