Claire Clutterham
Sturt · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“Some in this House have asked: how many cups of coffee can you buy with the Albanese Labor government's 1 July 2026 tax cuts? But I ask: how many cups of coffee can you buy with the money that you save from seeing a GP for free?”
“The eSafety Commissioner has identified serious compliance concerns and is actively investigating five major platforms due to their noncompliance.”
“But we need action from the entire parliament, in this place and in the other place, for that to happen. I call on all members and senators to walk together to take this action. I do that because this issue is also deeply personal for me. In my first speech to this parliament, I spoke about my own experience of bullying at school.”
“One of the early scenes in the 2010 movie The Social Network depicted young women at Harvard recoiling in disgust as they discover a website created by one of their peers that allowed male students to compare them based on their so-called 'hotness'. The website was a precursor to what would become Facebook.”
“Social media is a part of the world they have always known, yet they were remarkably forthright about its downsides. They spoke about algorithms that keep them scrolling, the pressure to seek approval through likes and followers, and the impact social media was having on their confidence, self-esteem and mental health.”
“That is why keeping children safe online should be a bipartisan issue. When the Albanese Labor government introduced the social media minimum age of 16 last year, we did so because we listened to parents, educators, experts and young people.”
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“It was a small milestone but a milestone nonetheless that he would not have been able to achieve without the care and skill he receives from Chelsea. Lucas's mum was in tears at her son's progress. Children like Lucas are exactly the kinds of Australians the NDIS was designed to support. But the scheme must be sustainable to allow highly qualified practitioners like Chelsea to continue to support young Australians like Lucas and to allow highly qualified exercise physiologists like Lauren help her clients, many of whom have cerebral palsy, develop strength and confidence. The NDIA's annual price review contained new recommendations with respect to the way travel is charged by those providing support and services to persons with a permanent and significant disability.”
“The services and support facilitated by the scheme are directed at persons with a permanent and significant disability. That is the purpose of the NDIS, that is the entire point and the Albanese Labor government is focused on making the NDIS the best it can be so that dedicated and skilled providers like Lauren from Achieving Abilities and Chelsea from Flipper Academy, both of whom are based in my electorate of Sturt, can continue to provide critical support services to their clients. The day I met Chelsea from Flipper Academy, I was privileged to witness a water based physiotherapy session that she was running with her young client Lucas. During the session on that day, Lucas—who is non-verbal, with significant limitations—achieved a milestone.”
“The National Disability Insurance Agency released its annual pricing review earlier this year, making recommendations designed to help refocus the NDIS on its primary purpose, which is to provide funding and support services to Australians with a permanent and significant disability. The provision of funding and support services is targeted towards helping those with disability live as independently and as autonomously as possible, helping them to be able to spend more time with family and friends. It is directed at helping people with a permanent and significant disability access new skills, access meaningful work or access community volunteering opportunities. It is firmly aimed at delivering an improved quality of life. The NDIS currently supports over 700,000 Australians with disability to access the services and support they need.”
“It will be an intergenerational asset that will stand the test of time and allow learn-to-swim programs and disability access, so children with disability needs can access the pool and receive hydrotherapy care—physiotherapy care in the water—and also learn to swim. The Norwood Payneham & St Peters Council does infrastructure projects properly. It has dedicated design and a professional team of contractors, and the end result is going to be an intergenerational community asset that can be used by generations of families in Sturt for decades to come. House adjourned at 17 : 00”
“It has a slower pace, with regular breaks and time out so that children who need to take a break—who need to have a break to be by themselves and regroup—can do so. I am proud that the East Torrens Baseball Club recently was the recipient of a grant from the Stronger Communities Program, which will enable them to continue to offer this program. Just because a child is autistic doesn't mean that they shouldn't have access to fun, physical health and mental health by virtue of team sport. Finally, I would like to give a shout-out to my former council, the Norwood Payneham & St Peters Council, and congratulate them on the development of the Payneham memorial swimming pool. This is located in the suburb of Payneham. The pool has been closed for several years as the development is undertaken, but this is going to be an intergenerational asset.”
“I also point out that Saints is an excellent training ground to support community volunteers. Many of the gymnasts who now are coaches at the club trained at the club and competed at the club, and they are now repaying the investment that was made in them. I also wish to advise the chamber about the East Torrens Baseball Club. This is located in the suburb of Payneham in the electorate of Sturt. The East Torrens Baseball Club is unique for one particular reason. It has men's and women's competitions, but it also runs a competition known as Yard Ball. I had never heard of Yard Ball until I attended the East Torrens Baseball Club to have a look at their facilities and meet the community volunteers who keep the club going. Yard Ball is specifically designed for children who are autistic.”
“It has over 300 members, who are dedicated to their craft and who revel in physical fitness and strength. The Saints gymnastic club regularly sends competitors to national and state competitions, where they have experienced immense success. The Saints gymnastics club, is, however, currently looking for a new training facility in Sturt. The St Peter's Girls School is undertaking a long-planned and deserved redevelopment of their gymnasium, which means Saints needs to find a new facility. They are partnering currently with lots of different sporting organisations and community organisations across the electorate, and it is my sincere hope that they do locate a new home so that the kids and young adults who train, volunteer and spend time at the Saints gymnastics club can continue to do so long into the future.”
“I rise this afternoon to share with this House the successes of a number of sporting clubs in my great electorate of Sturt. There are 130,000 registered voters in my electorate, and I am confident that almost every one of them is passionate about community sport. During my campaign, I met with residents from all across the electorate who were community volunteers dedicated to ensuring that their local sporting club flourished and dedicated to ensuring that kids had somewhere to play, somewhere to connect and somewhere where their physical and mental health could be curated. One of those clubs is the Saints gymnastics club. The Saints gymnastics club has been around for more than 30 years. It currently trains in a gymnasium in the St Peter's Girls School in the far-eastern suburb of Stonyfell.”
“I spoke with many of these residents during the campaign, and housing came up time and time again, particularly the challenges that first home buyers face trying to save for a deposit, pay rent and pay down education debt all at the same time. Parents and grandparents spoke to me about trying to find funds to provide to their children and grandchildren so they could get a deposit together. The Albanese Labor government listened, and from 1 October 2025, all first home buyers will need a deposit of just five per cent, helping them buy a home sooner, helping them into long-term security sooner and helping them put down roots in their community sooner. This will not only benefit the first home buyers of Sturt. It will benefit first home buyers across Australia.”
“My electorate of Sturt is diverse, extending from Hope Valley in the south, across Adelaide's leafy eastern belt, to Glen Osmond in the north. It is home to just over 130,000 registered voters. Many of them are young people completing their education at university or at TAFE and starting out in the workforce—now, of course, with a debt that is 20 per cent lower than it otherwise would have been. There is a large migrant community, mainly comprised of wonderful people from Italy, India and China who have chosen to raise their kids in one of the best parts of Australia. Sturt is also home to elderly Australians who have contributed to our community for decades and who are now thinking about what's next for their children and grandchildren.”
“This government is committed to cost-of-living measures for all Australians, and this critical housing announcement is a part of that, opening up the housing market even further so all first home buyers can buy a home. It is helping Australians live a productive, meaningful, secure and purposeful life. Housing is the foundation on which every Australian experiences life in our country, and that is what we are delivering for the Australian people. That is what the Albanese Labor government have always done and that is what the Albanese Labor government will continue to do.”
“We know there is more work to do, but this government's housing policies have started to bear fruit. Over 180,000 Australians have bought their first home with our five per cent deposit program. One million households have received nearly a 50 per cent rent assistance increase and 500,000 homes have been built since we came to office in 2022. New housing approvals are up 30 per cent and construction costs have stabilised. We've also got 28,000 social and affordable homes, supported by our government, in planning and construction. And now, with this legislation, we go even further: reducing the cost of education, tax cuts for all Australians again and again, energy bill relief.”
“Robert told me that his son James had a university HECS debt and had to pay that off at the same time as saving for a deposit. I spoke to Robert in the months after the Albanese Labor government announced it would be wiping 20 per cent off student debt. Robert was very pleased to learn about this, and he quipped to me that James could now possibly afford to move out of home. Robert and James, that will now be a reality! With 20 per cent off his HECS debt and only a five per cent deposit required, James can access the housing market. James can be a homeowner much, much sooner than he ever thought. Under this program, a first home buyer could take up to eight years off the time it takes to save for a deposit, based on the median price of an $844,000 home, and save about $34,000 in mortgage insurance.”
“My electorate of Sturt is diverse. It runs across Adelaide's eastern belt. It's a mix of young people, families, blue collar workers, white collar workers and elderly Australians who have spent decades raising their families and contributing to their community. Sturt is a beautiful part of Adelaide and a beautiful part of the world. Almost every time I speak to a resident the conversation ends with us agreeing that we are lucky to live there. The first home buyers of Sturt deserve to be able to buy a home and to put down roots in our beautiful community. So far, up to April 2025, 150 households and 220 individuals have taken advantage of the first homeowners scheme. Now, even more will be able to do so. Whilst I was doorknocking, I met Robert.”
“From 1 October 2025, three months earlier than anticipated, all first home buyers will need a deposit of just five per cent, helping them to buy a home sooner, helping them into long-term security sooner, helping them to maybe start a family sooner and put roots down in their community. This will not only benefit the first home buyers of my electorate of Sturt; it will benefit first home buyers across Australia. On housing, the Albanese Labor government is listening, and we are acting. In addition to only needing a five per cent deposit, cutting years off the time it takes to save for a deposit, first home buyers will not have to dig further into their pockets to pay for mortgage insurance. There is more. There are no income limits, no limits on places, and house price caps that better reflect the cost of homes across Australia.”
“It is even harder to save for a 20 per cent deposit, even if you have a good job and a good income. The housing environment that we are in has been decades in the making, and there are no quick fixes. The Albanese Labor government understands that, and we are acting. Under the passionate leadership of a Prime Minister and Minister for Housing who are absolutely dedicated to developing a policy environment that facilitates access to the housing market for all Australians, this government is acting. The Albanese Labor government understands that too many people are working hard and trying to save to access the housing market but feeling like they will never get to experience the pride, dignity and security that homeownership brings because it feels so far out of reach. This government is listening and this government is acting.”
“I got a kick out of it every time—the knowledge that this was my house, that I was building my future, that I would have security of housing, a roof over my head, in Adelaide, a place that I love. That feeling—that kick, that thrill, that sense of pride—is what Labor wants all Australians to experience. Labor wants Australians to feel that sense of security as they drive up their street, drive up their driveway, get out of the car and unlock the front door to their own home. Labor wants Australians to be able to put down roots in a community, to feel the pride and sense of relief that comes when people are able to access the housing market. When I bought my house, I had a good job and a good income, and I still remember thinking: 'Gosh, this is expensive. This is tough.' Eight years after I bought a house, things are even tougher.”
“I lived by myself in that house with my pets for about four years until I met the man who would go on to become my husband and moved in with him. But that house, with its memories, still means so much to me—because it's mine. I had worked hard to save to buy it. Like many Australians, no-one helped me. I was like many Australians whose parents are hardworking but don't have the funds to provide a deposit for their children. I did it on my own, and it's my little piece of the earth. I vividly remember getting a kick every single time I drove home from work, from the shops, from the gym, from anywhere, and turned on to my street, turned up my driveway and parked in the garage of the house that I owned.”
“As much as I love my parents, having lived out of home in various rental properties and share houses around the world since I was 23 years old, I couldn't wait to move out, to put down roots in my own little piece of the earth, to get a couple of pets, to play the music I wanted to pay, to play my piano whenever I wanted, to cook what I wanted when I wanted, to buy the type of furniture I liked, to create a little garden in a small backyard and then, in my case, with my ability to kill even resilient and tough desert plants, find a couple of neighbourhood kids who could look after that garden for me. Being back home with mum and dad was a very strong motivation to buy a house, and I ended up buying the second house I saw.”
“I bought my first house in 2017 when I was 35. Prior to that, I'd been living overseas for almost a decade in the Middle East and Asia, seeing the world, working hard and having unforgettable experiences that have shaped the person I am today. I returned home to Adelaide in late 2016 and, as was the necessity at that time, I moved back in with my parents—a shout-out to mum and dad.”
“It is respect for people who show up each and every day to help their fellow Australians navigate essential services. It is respect for their role in keeping our systems running. Protecting them is not just good workplace policy; it is the right thing to do.”
“These young people bring energy, compassion and commitment to their work every day, and I want to know that, when they do that, they are safe. I want to know that when someone walks into the Sturt electorate office, or makes contact with the electorate office online, through the telephone, at a shopping centre visit or at a street-corner meeting, the excellent team in the Sturt electorate office can help our community and do their jobs without fear of intimidation or harm. This legislation gives me that assurance. It gives me the assurance that workers in Services Australia offices—all 35,000 of them across this great country—will be safe when they provide support services to Australians during life's challenging times. Ultimately, this legislation is about respect.”
“Yet, because these workers are the point of contact, they are also the ones most exposed when frustration spills over into aggression. Protecting these workers is about valuing the people who make government services accessible and human. It is also personal for me. In Sturt I have recently set up the Sturt electorate office, with a team of young staff with diverse backgrounds from the private sector and from the public sector, who joined me because they want to help their community. They see themselves as a front door for people needing access to government, whether it is for a pension issue, support to understand the visa and immigration system, assistance with Centrelink or with tax or with housing, the provision of a pocket constitution or the provision of the Australian flag.”
“This matters deeply in South Australia, where service delivery roles are a backbone of our communities. In Sturt, and across the country, staff at Services Australia sites and other frontline agencies provide support for families, support for people with disability and support for those experiencing unemployment or hardship. They are often the face of government, explaining complex systems, helping people in crisis and doing their best to resolve issues and achieve an outcome. Some of these people work at the Services Australia branch located in Norwood, in the very heart of my electorate of Sturt, where staff provide services to residents of Sturt in connection with Centrelink, Medicare and My Aged Care and where residents also access information in relation to child support and the Department of Veterans' Affairs.”
“We know that a reduction or elimination of services or support for a person who is on the edge may have even more adverse consequences for that person, for their family and possibly for the community, and that is the motivation for the balance that this legislation seeks to achieve. Under this legislation, affected workers are also granted privacy protections as well as workplace health and safety protections, so they do not need to bring an application forward in their own name. This privacy regime protects them from any adverse consequences that may arise from having to bring the action in their own name. This important scheme will be available to most Commonwealth workplaces, extending to anywhere a Commonwealth worker is conducting official Commonwealth work.”
“If someone is subject to a workplace protection order, they are not barred from receiving help, because services, support and assistance can still be provided through alternative means such as scheduled appointments, phone or online channels or with staff in supervised and managed environments, facilitating the right to payments and services by ensuring that they can be accessed in a safe way, thus allowing for both staff wellbeing and the delivery for Australians at difficult and challenging times of need. That is the balance that has been sought and that is the balance that will be struck by this legislation.”
“Important to this is the understanding that the imposition of a workplace protection order will not eliminate or limit any person from accessing necessary Commonwealth services as required. This strikes the careful balance between protecting the health and wellbeing of workers and the need for all Australians to be supported through life's many challenges. The legislation does this by contemplating alternative procedures or arrangements for how the person over whom a workplace protection order has been issued may still access the support services that they need.”
“'Personal violence' is defined to include acts of violence, harassment, intimidation, threats of harm and other harmful non-physical violence such as verbal abuse over the phone or via email. I also want to recognise the balance that has tried to be struck and which strikes at the heart of this reform. Government services must remain open, accessible and welcoming to everyone, especially those who are under pressure and may be at their most vulnerable when they walk through the door, when they are feeling helpless, when they are feeling let down, where they have nowhere else to turn. The goal of the workplace protection orders act is to ensure that every member of the community can seek help in an environment that is safe, respectful and constructive.”
“At its heart, this legislation makes it clear that, if you step up to serve the public, you deserve to be safe while providing that service. Select courts will, therefore, upon application by an authorised person and after taking into consideration relevant circumstances, be able to issue a workplace protection order on behalf of a Commonwealth worker or workplace. Workplace protection orders can be issued in circumstances where personal violence against a worker or a workplace has arisen out of or is in direct connection with the official functions or duties of the relevant worker or relevant workplace and when there is a real risk it will occur again if an order is not made.”
“It is a terrible thing that, as recently as May 2025, two Australian Border Force contractors were seriously assaulted with a bladed weapon whilst at work. This is not acceptable. This government values the work that frontline Commonwealth workers do every day to support their fellow Australians. This government takes the view that any violence against Commonwealth workers is unacceptable, and this legislation is designed to deter this kind of repugnant conduct. The purpose of the legislation is simple. It is to ensure that those who serve the public can do so safely. It allows for the granting of swift and effective protection orders when workers face harassment, stalking, threats or violence in connection with their work.”
“Services Australia has reported that incidents of customer aggression included experiences of physical assault, including with a weapon. This is in addition to spitting; arson; objects being thrown at frontline workers; repeated exposure to obscene and offensive material; verbal abuse, including serious threats of harm; and property damage. This is not acceptable. The mental health toll that these acts of customer aggression take on staff and their families is not acceptable. The loss of confidence that these acts of customer aggression cause to staff is not acceptable. The economic cost of absence from the workplace and the economic cost of other productivity losses by virtue of these acts of customer aggression is not acceptable. Equally, the physical cost must also not be forgotten.”
“Data provided in the submission made by Services Australia in connection with this legislation revealed that, in 2023 and 2024, Services Australia had 27.1 million Medicare customers, 8.5 million Centrelink customers and 1.1 million child support customers and that, as at 31 December 2024, there were just over 35,000 people working in Services Australia roles. The data also indicated that, during 2023 and 2024, frontline workers in service centres acted to support Australians through approximately 10 million customer contacts—an extraordinary achievement. That is dedication and commitment to the Australian people. But regular instances of customer aggression meant that, during that period, service centre staff reported just over 12,000 customer aggression incidents, including the just under 1,700 that are recorded as serious incidents.”
“These are the workers who staff Centrelink and Medicare counters, support jobseekers and older Australians, deliver the mail, manage immigration and border services, and answer calls in service hubs that Australians rely on. These people perform critical functions, but, too often, they face abuse, intimidation or threats, simply for doing their job. Data tells us that in the year between July 2023 and June 2024, there were just under 1,700 serious incidents across the face-to-face services that Services Australia provides to the Australian public.”
“The Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Bill 2025 has at its heart a desire to provide legal protections for workers and workplaces in the Commonwealth space, to deter acts of violence and to deter other harmful behaviours by members of the public. It is a direct result of the unfortunate increasing risk of harm being faced by Commonwealth workers on a daily basis. This particularly applies to those working in frontline service delivery roles. This legislation is an important step forward in recognising the dignity and safety of workers who dedicate their lives and careers to serving the public. Across my home state of South Australia, thousands of people work in roles that bring them into direct contact with members of the community every day, often in challenging, highly emotional and sensitive circumstances.”
“Urgent care clinics, more doctors and nurses, more bulk-billed places, more investment in women's health and mental health medical centres, in addition to cheaper medicines, are good for the hip pocket; they are good for the health and wellbeing of all Australians; and, as we know, they are good for the economy, because a healthy population drives a productive and successful economy.”
“Despite that, David said that urgent care clinics sounded 'pretty good', and was very relieved to hear that Sturt would soon be home to an urgent care clinic and that the people of Sturt could access walk-up, bulk-billed services without placing more strain on the hospital system in circumstances where they couldn't get in to see their preferred general practitioner. David was right. It not only sounds like a good idea, it is a good idea. One million visits from the people of Australia tell us that it is a good idea. Another good idea, as we know, is cheaper medicines, which form part of the suite of measures for making health care more affordable and more accessible to all Australians.”
“David was elderly and had fallen and injured his hip. He took a while to answer the door, due to his mobility, and when he did answer it and we got chatting, he told me that he was in pain and he couldn't get in to see his general practitioner. I told him about urgent care clinics and that the way they worked was that he could simply attend one on a walk-up basis, be seen by a doctor on a bulk-billed basis and get a prescription for pain medication if one was required. At the time, there was not an urgent care clinic in Sturt, and David's nearest urgent care clinic was in Para Hills, a taxi ride away.”
“One of the biggest weekends of doorknocking for me during the campaign was when I had the pleasure of announcing that Sturt would be getting an urgent care clinic—a walk-up, fully bulk-billed centre residents can go to when they need something urgently but don't need to go to hospital. That weekend, I met Natalie, who works in healthcare administration, managing urgent care clinics in South Australia. When I told Natalie that Sturt would be getting an urgent care clinic—there was not one in Sturt at the time—Natalie let out an audible cheer, because Natalie knows that urgent care clinics work. Over one million visits by Australians tell us that, and that is why we are opening more—50 more, including in Sturt. Urgent care clinics were new to David, who I also met whilst I was doorknocking in my electorate of Sturt during the campaign.”
“AUKUS is an opportunity to build a future made in Australia by Australians. It is a once-in-a-generation transformational investment in our security, our industry and our people.”
“These are high-value, highly skilled and secure jobs that will endure for decades. This means opportunities not just for today's workforce but for future generations. Young people growing up in South Australia will be able to see a pathway to meaningful well-paid work in our great state. Children not yet born will one day train at the academy, mastering advanced skills and helping to defend our nation. That is the scale of the opportunity before us. Yes, this investment is significant. We recognise this. But the cost of being underprepared would be far higher. AUKUS is a generational decision. It strengthens our sovereignty, it deepens our alliances and it ensures Australia has the capability to deter others and defend itself. This is more than just a defence capability.”
“The SSN-AUKUS class of submarines will be amongst the most advanced platforms in the world. They will combine stealth, endurance, strike power and intelligence systems that no conventional submarine can match. With world-class sensors and surveillance capabilities, they will give us the ability to see further, act faster and respond most effectively to challenges in our region. Crucially, AUKUS places South Australia at the centre of this national effort. At Osborne, the submarine construction yard and a new skills and training academy, the STAC, will be established. This phase alone will create up to 4,000 jobs designing, building and equipping the facilities we need. Once submarine production is underway, a further 4,000 to 5,500 shipyard jobs will be created in South Australia to design, build and sustain the fleet.”
“We need this investment to support the development of an Australian Defence Force with a much greater capacity to project so that we can deter adversaries, defend Australia and contribute to regional security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Why is this so important? It is because Australia is an island continent. Our security, our trade and our prosperity rely on safe and open sea routes, and submarines are the most effective way to guarantee that security. Nuclear-powered submarines, in particular, offer unmatched endurance, stealth and reach. They allow Australia not only to defend our approaches but also to deter threats before they emerge. The Indo-Pacific is one of the world's most strategically contested regions, and in this environment Australia must remain a strong and credible partner with our allies, including the US.”
“Pillar I delivers a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines for Australia, while Pillar II serves as a platform for advanced technology cooperation in areas such as cyber, quantum, artificial intelligence, undersea systems, hypersonics and electronic warfare. Together these pillars provide an optimal pathway to transforming the Australian Defence Force into one that can operate at the cutting edge of technology and security in an increasingly complex geopolitical and security environment. AUKUS is at the core of the Albanese government's national security policy, designed to protect our nation, our supply chain and our interests and security, as well as to keep Australians safe.”
“I'm proud to rise today to speak about the significant role my home state of South Australia is playing in our nation's defence sector and in the AUKUS partnership. The decision to build SSN-AUKUS class nuclear-powered submarines at the Osborne shipyard in South Australia, where I proudly used to work, is a targeted and informed one. At Osborne we have the knowledge, the workforce and the burgeoning infrastructure that the SSN-AUKUS class submarines need. This is not just a defence acquisition; this is a generational project that will shape our national security and economy and build jobs for South Australians for decades to come. The program places South Australia at the very heart of one of the most important defence projects and strategic partnerships in our nation's history. AUKUS is structured around two important pillars.”
“The second-biggest weekend was when the Albanese Labor government announced a $587 million investment into women's health. This was welcomed by men and women, because both men and women know that women's health is good for the family and an economic proposition. As part of this health announcement, the government indicated that it would be funding more treatments for menopause and helping more women suffering from endometriosis, which is a complex condition. There are many women out there who, because of the condition, have been unable to work, unable to get out of bed or unable even to get a diagnosis. The Albanese Labor government has heard you and will be making further investments to ensure the women of Australia get the treatment that they deserve.”
“Cost-of-living relief is the bread and butter of the Albanese Labor government, and cheaper medicines for all Australians is a critical part of this. Cheaper medicines are good for the hip pockets of all Australians, good for the health of all Australians and good for the Australian economy. Australians are passionate about health care. During my campaign for the seat of Sturt, my team and I knocked on over 10,000 doors. We talked education; we talked trade; we talked housing. We had great conversations with the engaged voters of Sturt. But a number of weekends jumped out to me as being particularly significant. The first was in November 2024, when the Albanese Labor government announced its policy to wipe 20 per cent off HECS, VET and apprenticeship student debt, which has had an impact on over 25,000 residents of Sturt.”
“In addition to the $25 regime, pensioners and concession card holders will continue to benefit from the freeze to the cost of their PBS medicines, with the cost frozen at its current level of $7.70 until 2030. And, as a child of now elderly parents on a raft of different medications, this is very welcome to me. Australia has an ageing population, and we need to ensure that our elderly Australians have access to the affordable health care that they deserve. All of these initiatives further grow and develop action the Albanese Labor government has already taken to deliver cost-of-living relief through cheaper medicines, including 60-day prescriptions, which save time and money for millions of Australians with an ongoing health condition.”
“Slashing the costs of medicine is a move to promote better health for all Australians, but it is also an economic imperative. Cheaper medicines are good for the hip pocket, good for your health and good for the economy. If medication is skipped, a condition worsens. If a visit to a GP is skipped, a condition worsens. Skip another course of medication, take a few sick days and, all of a sudden, you cannot work, your condition has worsened and maybe you require hospital treatment. This is all about preventive health care, allowing Australians access to affordable health care when a condition arises, not when it has escalated. In Australia, the statement, 'I couldn't afford to fill my script,' should never be uttered. In Australia, the statement, 'I couldn't afford to see my doctor,' should never be uttered.”
“What really struck me about this was that an announcement about contraceptives and fertility drugs at the same time underscored the complex and unique health needs that women have and that the Albanese Labor government is listening to and will continue to listen to. The National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025 equates to a more than 20 per cent cut in the maximum cost of PBS medicines, which will save Australians over $200 million each year. Four out of five medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme will become cheaper, resulting in more affordable and accessible health care. And we know that healthy economies only occur when there are healthy populations. A healthy population drives productivity. It drives a healthy economy. So health is an economic proposition.”
“But now, from 1 January 2026, the cheaper medicines legislation means the cost will be further reduced to $25 for non-concession-cardholders, making it more accessible and affordable to all women, who should not be financially disadvantaged just because of their unique health needs—or, in other words, just because they are women. At the same time as the announcement about Slinda was made, the announcement about Pergoveris was made. This is a fertility drug. We know that women, with their unique complex health needs, require medication from the early family planning stages of life until they desire to start a family. On this occasion, we met with women who had fallen pregnant because of this drug, now listed on the PBS and affordable.”