Alice Jordan-Baird
Gorton · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“This includes incentives like the Commonwealth Prac Payment, which means students on their mandatory nursing and midwifery placements will be paid for their work, making life easier for our nursing and midwifery students.”
“We took health care to the election, and right across the board we're legislating change. We've capped the cost of PBS-listed medicines at just $25, the lowest it's been since 2004—when I was in primary school—which has seen a saving of more than $14 million in my electorate of Gorton.”
“With competing cost-of-living pressures, these families shouldn't be worrying about the cost of seeing a doctor as well. These families deserve regular access to affordable GP appointments, and that's why this bill matters.”
“Our green and gold Medicare card means opportunity. It means receiving high-quality health care, regardless of your bank balance. I'm so proud to be part of the Albanese Labor government, which is committed to strengthening Medicare for generations to come, and this bill, the Health Insurance Amendment (Incentive Payments and Other Measur…”
“It means that, in Melbourne's western suburbs, people in our community have access to free walk-in care when they need it. With this budget, we're making urgent care clinics like the ones in Melton and Sunshine permanent. Urgent care clinics play a really important role in taking the pressure off our emergency departments.”
“Our introduction of Medicare bulk-billing clinics is really making a huge difference in our communities across the country. I'm really proud to report that, in my community, there are now 24 Medicare bulk-billing practices—up from 13 before our bulk-billing changes were introduced.”
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“They are also expected to support the energy transition with new renewable energy and to not put upward pressure on energy prices, to manage water responsibly, to create well-paid jobs and local skills, and to back startups, research, innovations and supply chains. I will not support data centre developments that fail to meet these expectations. Our community deserves clear answers, genuine consultation and transparent planning processes. The west cannot simply become the destination for infrastructure that places additional strain on resources while delivering little in return. I will continue to listen to residents, seek answers on their behalf and advocate strongly for the long-term visibility, sustainability and wellbeing of our growing community.”
“They reflect a community who want to understand how a major industrial development would affect their quality of life, local environment and future of our region. As AI demand and reliance on cloud computing grows, data centre investment in Australia is necessary. But—in our community, near homes and close to schools—data centre development must happen in ways that deliver positive outcomes for the community. The Albanese Labor government has set out clear expectations for data centres and AI infrastructure built here to ensure that investments provide tangible benefits both locally and across Australia. Operators must prioritise Australia's national interests, not only by strengthening our security and resilience but also by delivering benefits to local communities.”
“I rise today to raise the voices of community concerns in the outer west. In my community in Melbourne's western suburbs, there's been a proposal for the largest data centre ever publicly proposed in Australia. At 350 hectares, the Plumpton data centre project will cover the equivalent of 175 MCG playing fields. People in our community are rightly asking questions about what a development of this scale could mean for our growing suburbs. I want to take this opportunity in this parliamentary chamber to say that I hear the concerns about the potential impact on local energy and water resources, the increased traffic movements and noise, and the cumulative pressure placed on infrastructure that is already struggling to keep pace. These are the right questions to be asking.”
“Most importantly, it helps protect the programs that Australians rely on—programs that make it easier to see a GP, programs that support our health workforce, programs that make health care more affordable and more accessible—because every Australian deserves access to quality health care no matter where they live, no matter how much they earn. That has always been the Labor way, and it's what this government is delivering—stronger Medicare, better health care and a health system that's there for every Australian. I commend this bill to the House.”
“Providers currently participating in these programs won't need to reapply, and there won't be any changes to substantive eligibility criteria or payment amounts, meaning that these programs can continue delivering good outcomes for Australians. This bill is about protecting Medicare. It's about making sure these programs have the strong legislative foundations they deserve. It strengthens integrity, it improves transparency, it gives providers greater certainty and it helps ensure public funding is spent where it should be.”
“This bill also modernises the laws that underpin these programs, allowing some administrative tasks to be carried out automatically while including safeguards to ensure the process is transparent, properly monitored and accountable as well. This will help manage large numbers of applications and decisions more efficiently while still protecting people's rights to have those decisions reviewed. There will also be very clear review processes as well. Providers can ask for the decision to be reconsidered internally, and, if they are still unhappy with the outcome, they can apply for an independent review by the Administrative Review Tribunal. This bill will do a lot to support the good administration of these programs, but it won't change them.”
“The bill before us plugs this gap, inserting a new part into the Health Insurance Act 1973 which provides a consistent statutory basis for the establishment and administration of these programs. This will improve the effectiveness of these programs in a few ways. It will give healthcare providers and the government more certainty by giving these programs a strong backing. It will create clear and consistent rules for how these programs are run, including how providers can participate, how often decisions are made and stronger protections to ensure decisions are fair. And it will protect public funding by making sure the right rules are in place for compliance using information and recovering overpayments in incentive payment programs.”
“These programs are such an important way for us to realise quality, accessible and affordable health care for all Australians, to make seeing a doctor affordable, to attract doctors to where they're most needed and to make sure that all Australians, not just those who live in metropolitan areas, can access multidisciplinary health care that addresses their specific concerns. That's why this bill is so incredibly important. Currently, these incentive payment programs operate without a clear and consistent legislative framework behind them. That's a gap because it impacts their effective administration, including strong process around compliance and integrity.”
“This is complemented by the Workforce Incentive Program, which assists GP practices with the cost of employing a large range of health professionals from various disciplines, as well as encouraging doctors to provide services in regional, rural and remote communities and attracting doctors with additional advanced skills to work outside metropolitan areas, improving access to quality and comprehensive medical, nursing and allied health services in regional, rural and remote areas.”
“This makes it easier for older Australians to access ongoing quality health care in a way that's most accessible to them, supporting the health and wellbeing of older Australians and reducing the pressure on our hospitals by ensuring continuous, consistent care. The longstanding Practice Incentives Program encourages doctors to meet outcomes that plug gaps in the healthcare system and ensure accessible health care for all Australians. These outcomes include offering care after hours, making e-health services available, providing teaching sessions to medical students, servicing rural and regional areas and more.”
“Primary care incentive programs encourage GP practices to deliver high quality, continuous and accessible care through incentive payments. The Medicare Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program established by Labor is probably the most well-known program, but there are also several other programs accessible to practices and doctors that ensure Australians receive the best possible care. The General Practice in Aged Care Incentive is one such program, which supports older Australians living in residential aged care. It encourages GPs to go out and visit their older patients at their residential aged-care facility, rather than seeing them at their own practice.”
“We're also backing men's health. For too long, mental health in Australia has been overlooked. We've established and are expanding a network of Medicare mental health centres, helping Australians have better access to mental healthcare services. We're also delivering $11.3 million to provide men's healthcare training to primary healthcare workers and to develop a campaign to encourage men to visit the doctor. That's in addition to $20.7 million in grassroots initiatives that support men's mental health and wellbeing in community settings. Today we're establishing a clear legislative framework for Commonwealth primary care incentive payment programs, including the Medicare Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program.”
“This includes incentives like the Commonwealth Prac Payment, which means students on their mandatory nursing and midwifery placements will be paid for their work, making life easier for our nursing and midwifery students. We're also tripling the bulk-billing incentive for people who need to see their GP most often, helping pensioners, concession card holders and families with children. We're investing landmark commitments in women's health, working to reverse decades of neglect to women's health. We've now opened 33 endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics, and more than 380,000 women have accessed new, cheaper contraceptives in the first year of their listing on the pharmaceutical benefits schedule. Initiatives like these are saving Australian women and their families thousands of dollars on health-related costs across their lifetimes.”
“We took health care to the election, and right across the board we're legislating change. We've capped the cost of PBS-listed medicines at just $25, the lowest it's been since 2004—when I was in primary school—which has seen a saving of more than $14 million in my electorate of Gorton. We've doubled the number of medicines now available for 60-day prescriptions, and we've introduced new medicines to the PBS. We've launched the Medicare Mental Health Check In, a free service connecting you with professional mental health support over the phone. For many in our community this is a lifeline. We're growing the health workforce to deliver more doctors and nurses than ever before, including the largest GP training program in Australian history and hundreds of scholarships for nurses and midwives to extend their skills and qualifications.”
“A constituent of mine, Carl from Burnside Heights, recently visited the Sunshine urgent care clinic. He had an injury at home on a Sunday night at about 9 pm. He was at Sunshine urgent care clinic by 9.15 pm, seen by a clinician, had six stitches put in and was out by 9:40 pm. How good is that? Carl was able to access walk-in care close to his home in Burnside Heights. That is exactly what we introduced urgent care clinics for: when you need urgent care and you can't possibly wait for a GP appointment, but it's not serious enough for the emergency room. This means that Australians are getting the care they need when they need it without overloading our doctors and emergency systems. That's not all we're doing to strengthen Medicare and our healthcare workforce here in Australia.”
“It means that, in Melbourne's western suburbs, people in our community have access to free walk-in care when they need it. With this budget, we're making urgent care clinics like the ones in Melton and Sunshine permanent. Urgent care clinics play a really important role in taking the pressure off our emergency departments. In the western suburbs through the Melton urgent care clinic in the member for Hawke's electorate, the Sunshine urgent care clinic in the member for Fraser's electorate and the Werribee urgent care clinic in the member for Lalor's electorate, urgent care clinics are making a real difference in our community in the west. The Sunshine urgent care clinic has seen over 12,000 presentations since its opening in August last year. Let me tell you about one of those patient experiences.”
“Our introduction of Medicare bulk-billing clinics is really making a huge difference in our communities across the country. I'm really proud to report that, in my community, there are now 24 Medicare bulk-billing practices—up from 13 before our bulk-billing changes were introduced. That means that at 75 per cent of our clinics in Gorton you can see a doctor for free, and this is all thanks to Labor's single largest investment in Medicare ever, which is delivering an additional 18 million bulk-billed GP visits every year so more Australians can see a GP for free. With the Sunshine and Melton urgent care clinics nearby, our community can also access free walk-in urgent care. The Sunshine and Melton urgent care clinics have together seen over 46,000 visits since opening. This is massive.”
“With competing cost-of-living pressures, these families shouldn't be worrying about the cost of seeing a doctor as well. These families deserve regular access to affordable GP appointments, and that's why this bill matters. The bill before us provides a clear legislative framework for our primary care incentive payment programs—programs like the Medicare Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program, which is increasing access to free GP appointments right across the country. This bill is about strengthening the accessibility of health care for all Australians. It's about making sure that every Australian can access the care they need, no matter where they live. It's another piece in a huge body of work by this government that is ensuring that quality health care is accessible and affordable for every Australian.”
“Our green and gold Medicare card means opportunity. It means receiving high-quality health care, regardless of your bank balance. I'm so proud to be part of the Albanese Labor government, which is committed to strengthening Medicare for generations to come, and this bill, the Health Insurance Amendment (Incentive Payments and Other Measures) Bill 2026, is an important part of exactly that. Labor has always and will always fight for accessible health care. Medicare is one of the reasons I joined the Australian Labor Party when I was a teenager. We have more than 50,000 families across my electorate of Gorton, and new ones are moving in, building their homes and their futures in Melbourne's western suburbs. These families are feeling the cost of living when paying their bills at the checkout or at the bowser.”
“It is an honour to rise in support of the Health Insurance Amendment (Incentive Payments and Other Measures) Bill 2026, brought forward by the Minister for Health and Ageing, and I commend him for doing so. This bill is an important step in strengthening the integrity, transparency and sustainability of Medicare primary healthcare funding. Australia has one of the best healthcare systems in the entire world. We're regularly compared to our international counterparts, and Medicare is the very best of Australia, and it's a system built and backed by successive Labor governments every step of the way.”
“Just recently, at the National Press Club, she asked, 'Why should a business pay them if they're not at work?' And we've seen the member for Goldstein say, 'It's not my choice that women have children; it's genetic.' This is what the three right-wing parties have to offer Australian families. While they tear down and belittle working Australians, Labor is backing Aussie families every step of the way.”
“Tomorrow marks 1 July, the day that eligible families will be able to get up to 26 weeks of paid parental leave, backed by this Albanese Labor government. Families accessing the full entitlement will receive almost $30,000 across their paid parental leave. This is more than double the entitlement available to families before Labor came to government. Meanwhile, the Liberals, the Nationals and One Nation don't seem to have such a positive view of the working Australian family. In 2017, Senator Hanson claimed that women will get pregnant to access paid parental leave.”
“It really was such an honour to have the opportunity to participate in the community's rich traditions at the opening, including the sacred fire ceremony and kirtan procession as well. A big thank you to Ajay Bansal along with the entire community for the warm welcome. Acquiring this historic new location has not been an easy feat. Congratulations to the Hare Krishna community, and I can't wait to see what this next chapter will bring.”
“The talent of the children in our growing suburbs is something truly special, and I cannot wait to see these young people continue to grow and be the future of Australia. A big thank you to Principal Jodi Park, the school captains, staff and the entire Kings Park Primary community for the important work you do every single day. The Hare Krishna community in Melbourne's western suburbs is an incredibly warm and inclusive group of people who welcome participants from all walks of life. I was so pleased to join the opening of Srilia Prabhupada Castle in Keilor in early June. The former Overnewton Castle in Keilor will provide a beautiful new space for the wonderful community to gather and practice.”
“At Kings Park Primary School, community is central to everything they do. It was a pleasure joining their morning assembly to talk with students about what makes our community so incredibly special. It was great chatting with the grade 5 and 6 students about Australia's system of government and joining the preppies for their reading time. Kings Park Primary has a strong phonics program that has been in place for many years, and it shows in their fantastic reading and writing scores—something the entire school should be proud of. From the wonderful student artwork on display to the children's chickens in Kings Patch, their school kitchen garden, there really is so much to love about this wonderful school community.”
“Singing 'You are my Sunshine' in Auslan with the two-year-old class at Wattle Planet Early Learning Centre in Rockbank was definitely a highlight of my recent visit. The poster made by the four-year-old kinder class was another one, where they shared what they'd like to see in our community, from fruit and veggie shops to more swings and monkey bars in our local parks and even fish in our swimming pools. It was also great to chat to educators about our local issues like the safety of Leakes Road, Rockbank station car parking, the Western Freeway and the Rockbank town centre as well. A huge congratulations to this wonderful centre on their one-year anniversary. A massive thank you to Sonia, Miranda and the entire team for your warm welcome and all you do to support our local families.”
“If you want workers to be treated fairly, then you've got to fight for it, and in this chamber, we're fighting for the protection of workers. Fairness matters. Secure jobs matter. A fair go matters. That is why we on this side of the chamber will always fight for that—because Labor is the party of secure jobs, fair wages and safe workplaces. I commend this bill to the House.”
“The fact that the right-wing parties of Australia cannot bring themselves to back a minimum wage increase is really appalling. They do not represent the interests of workers. Let me tell you, the protections for workers happen in this chamber, not just with words but with votes on bills like this one. This bill is about practical changes that make the system work better, changes that support workers and changes that support businesses. I think of our nurses in our community, our hospitality workers, our teachers, our truck drivers, our warehouse workers, our tradies and our small-business owners. I think of these workers in our community because they work hard and they do the right thing. But that's not always enough. You need the right systems in place to support you. That's what this bill is about.”
“Combined, we've cut income taxes five times in three different ways, putting nearly $3,000 a year in the pockets of the average worker by 2028. Those opposite talk about helping workers, but, when push comes to shove, they vote against it on the floor of parliament. The same can be said for our minimum wage increase. The Fair Work Commission goes through a lot of deliberation about how to set this minimum wage. It looks at business conditions. It looks at profitability as well as the needs of working people. It's settled on what I think is a really responsible wage increase. It's a real wage increase for workers. We've got to remember these are the lowest paid workers in the country, and they deserve a real wage increase.”
“Our payday super reforms are once-in-a-generation reforms to fix unpaid super, because workers deserve to get paid for their full entitlements, and Australians deserve to retire with confidence and financial security as well. It's no surprise that the three right-wing parties of Australia have not in the past or here today supported our workplace reforms and workers' protections. Take our recent tax cuts. Our budget is ensuring that all 13 million workers in Australia are getting a tax cut, with the working Australians tax offset and the thousand-dollar instant tax deduction, as well as better pay for workers and a fair go for first home buyers. These are tax cuts that put more money in the pockets of everyday Australians.”
“We delivered same job, same pay; we closed loopholes that undermined wages and conditions; we strengthened protections against wage theft; and we have helped deliver real wage growth. For too long, workers were told they should be grateful just to have a job. Meanwhile, wages were stagnant, job security declined and people were working harder and falling behind. Unlike the three right-wing parties of Australia, we believe that hardworking Aussies deserve secure work and hardworking Aussies deserve decent pay and dignity at work. Our same job, same pay laws have benefited thousands of workers across the country with pay increases, because our government identified something important. If you're doing the same job with the same experience while wearing the same uniform, it's only fair you should get paid the same.”
“Under current legislation, the Commonwealth is legally prohibited from considering preferencing employers with enterprise agreements when making funding decisions. We're removing that barrier, allowing government purchasing power to promote fairer wages and more secure jobs through enterprise agreements where it is appropriate to do so. This bill also supports the National Construction Industry Forum because cooperation between workers, employers and government matters. When people work together, we get better outcomes. When we tackle problems together, we build a stronger industry and a stronger economy as well. This builds on a number of other workplace reforms this Labor government has made for Australians across the country.”
“The Albanese Labor government took the strongest possible action to address serious issues within the CFMEU by legislating for the appointment of an administrator to the Construction and General Division of the CFMEU, and these changes will help support that important work. This bill gives the administrator an appropriate timeframe to prepare and submit a biannual financial report to the minister, as required under the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009. Enterprise agreements that are genuinely agreed and negotiated in good faith can be a very transparent and effective way of delivering secure jobs and fair conditions for workers, as well as flexibility and productivity for employers.”
“I'm also a proud member of the Transport Workers' Union, a union that represents over 20,000 members in Victoria and Tasmania, many of whom are truck drivers. I'm so proud to be part of this union that's dedicated to a fair go for truckies. I thank them for all of their work and advocacy and all they do to make sure that they represent the voices of workers. Labor will always stand with transport workers, because these are the workers who spend long hours away from their families, workers who keep our supermarkets stocked, workers who keep our businesses running and workers who keep our economy moving. This bill also makes some practical changes to support reform in the construction industry.”
“It's important for mums and dads driving their kids to school; it's important for workers, who need good roads to deliver them safely from their place of work; and it's important for truckies, who absolutely rely on quality road infrastructure to make their jobs possible. It's why we're fixing the Western Freeway between Caroline Springs and Melton, investing a billion dollars for more lanes and better interchanges, improving the commute for the over 86,000 vehicles travelling on this stretch of road on the Western Freeway every single day. I'm laser focused on doing better for the west on road infrastructure and making sure that our truckies can deliver the goods Aussie households and businesses rely on safely and efficiently on our roads.”
“It's why we've amended the Fair Work Act to allow emergency powers to deal with surging fuel prices causing imminent risk to transport businesses and our national supply chains. It's why we've extended debt repayment arrangements available for businesses facing fuel-related financial pressures and started the $1 billion Economic Resilience Program under the National Reconstruction Fund to provide zero-interest loans to SMEs, including heavy-vehicle operators. It's also why we're focused on improving road infrastructure around the country, including in my electorate of Gorton in the western suburbs of Melbourne. I know how important quality road infrastructure is for those in my community.”
“This bill reflects our broader commitment to supporting truckies. It's a tough time for every Australian on our roads, especially for those of us who are making their living from the road transport industry. Truckies deserve a fair go, and that's why we've extended the fuel excise relief for the month of July and slashed the heavy vehicle road user charge by 16 cents for the same period. It's why we've paved the way for the Fair Work Commission fuel cost recovery chain order, which requires parties across the road transport contractual chains to pay more to providers of road transport services, shielding road transport workers from the full brunt of increases to fuel prices.”
“Truck drivers face significant costs to do their jobs: fuel, maintenance, insurance. For many owner-drivers, those costs are substantial, and, for that reason, conventional high-income thresholds don't always reflect the reality of the industry. The closing loopholes reforms created a contractor high-income threshold, which meant that some road transport contractors couldn't access recourse through the Fair Work Commission because their income was too high. This bill recognises that this threshold didn't reflect the real situation for road transport contractors and amends that, allowing a separate high-income threshold for road transport contractors, meaning more truckies and small-road businesses will be able to access protections against unfair contracts and unfair termination.”
“Our truck drivers keep Australia moving. They deliver the goods our households and businesses rely on every single day. In 2024, we introduced new protections in the Fair Work Commission for regulated road transport contractors, including truckies and small road transport businesses. Previously, it was hard for truck drivers working as independent contractors to challenge unfair conduct by contracting companies. Their contracts could be terminated without good reason, and they had a few ways to challenge contracts with unfair terms. Our closing loopholes reforms made recourse through the Fair Work Commission available to these workers so that if they were unfairly terminated or entered a contract with unfair terms, it was a way to make things right. But something still wasn't quite right.”
“Gorton is one of the fastest growing electorates in the country. There are about 80 babies born a week in the city of Melton alone. We are young, with an average age of 35, many with young families, and we're really diverse as well. In so many ways, my electorate is a microcosm of multicultural Australia with its vitality, its rich cultural and linguistic makeup, and its aspirations for the future. A good, hardworking community like mine deserves good measures to ensure that the Fair Work Act is working for them—for the Fair Work Commission to perform its vital functions effectively, for good-faith bargaining to be supported for employers and employees alike and for road transport contractors to be able to access proper protections. Another really important measure of this bill is support for truckies.”
“Enterprise agreements can deliver higher wages, secure jobs and better conditions. They can also deliver flexibility and productivity for employers. When workers and employers sit down together and negotiate in good faith, everybody benefits. This bill removes a barrier that prevents government spending from supporting employers who negotiate enterprise agreements in good faith. Importantly, there's normally a requirement for this to happen, but it gives government the ability to support fair wages and secure jobs where appropriate. Labor believes good jobs are good for workers, and we believe good jobs are good for productivity as well. This bill is important, and I know the effects of what we vote on in this chamber will be felt right across the country. I know it will be felt in my electorate in Melbourne's western suburbs.”
“The Fair Work Commission plays a vital role in Australia's workplace relations system. It helps resolve disputes, it helps protect workers, and it provides certainty for businesses, but its workload has increased significantly. This bill includes practical changes to help the commission work more efficiently. It will reduce unnecessary delays, it will deal with vexatious claims, and it will make sure that workers and employers can have their matters resolved more quickly. It's important to note that these changes don't reduce protections for workers, they simply make the system work better. A strong workplace relations system should be accessible, and it should be efficient. That is exactly what these reforms are about. This bill also supports good-faith bargaining.”
“I learned back then—and I continue to understand now—that fair wages and conditions are not something to be taken for granted. They're not something that has always been a given in this country. They're something that need to be fought for, and that's why I joined the Australian Labor Party and why I couldn't be prouder to be part of the Albanese Labor government, because we are a government that has delivered the biggest workplace reforms in a generation. We have closed loopholes, we've strengthened job security and we've helped get wages moving again. But reform isn't something you do once and walk away from. We need to keep improving the system where we see the gaps, and this is exactly what this bill does. One important part of this bill is supporting the work of the Fair Work Commission.”
“I rise to speak in support of the Workplace Relations Legislation Amendment (Building Cooperative Workplaces No. 1) Bill 2026. This bill is about making our workplace system work better. It's about fairness, it's about secure jobs, and it's about sure making the system works for workers and employers alike. Let me tell you a bit about myself and my first job, as some of my colleagues here have done in contributing to today's debate. As a teenager, I worked at a local burger joint. I was young, I was in my first job, and I was enthusiastic to get it right. I believed that if you do the right thing and you work hard, you should be getting paid fairly. Meanwhile, my employers signed workers like me up to dodgy traineeships, which was designed to justify low wages.”
“We're a government who helps Australians earn more and keep more of what they earn—whether it's slashing the fuel tax, better pay, tax cuts or a fair go for first home buyers. The three right-wing parties over there are doing nothing but standing in the way of our tax cuts, better pay and a fair go for first home buyers in this country.”
“The member for Goldstein says that Australians wake up so they can work hard, afford food, pay their mortgage and get ahead. Well, then, I ask the member for Goldstein why he, along with the three right-wing parties of Australia, have time and time again voted against tax cuts for Aussie workers. Tax cuts put more money in the pockets of everyday Australians. When we came to government we inherited $1 trillion of debt, bigger deficits and stagnant wage growth from the coalition, and in every budget since, we have found savings. This budget is our most responsible yet. The member for Goldstein has asked in this House today what kind of a government we are. I'll tell you: we are a government who is delivering real change to ease the cost of living.”
“We're also backing small businesses, making the $20,000 instant asset write-off permanent, giving small businesses certainty and helping them invest with confidence. We're also delivering tax reforms that improve cashflow and support businesses during difficult times, because when small businesses succeed, our communities succeed and our economy succeeds as well. It's no surprise that the three right-wing parties all voted against our tax cuts. They talk about helping workers, but when push comes to shove, they vote against it on the floor of the parliament. Every time they have the opportunity to vote for higher wages and lower taxes, the right-wing parties opposite, instead of voting the way the workers of this country need them to, vote the way that Gina Rinehart tells them to.”
“He was over the moon to get his keys and own a home of his own, a home where he can put paint on the walls, paint them a different colour if he wants to—a home he can build his life in. He is one of the more than 3,000 people in my electorate of Gorton who have secured their first home with the Albanese Labor government's five per cent deposit scheme. This is absolutely life-changing. This program cuts years off the time it takes to save for a deposit. It'll help people get into their first homes sooner, meaning they'll be able to pay off their own mortgages, not their landlords'. This is about fairness, because young Aussies should be going to auctions to buy their own homes, not to get outbid by property investors standing right next to them.”
“Combined, we've cut income taxes five times in three different ways, putting nearly $3,000 a year into the pockets of the average worker by 2028. I've seen the need for this in my electorate of Gorton. We're from Melbourne's western suburbs, and we're one of the fastest-growing electorates in the country. My community has new families moving in every week, buying homes and building their futures. These are hardworking Aussies we're speaking about. I had the honour of meeting a young first home buyer from my electorate. I met Ishaan at his brand new home in Deanside in Melbourne's west, and he was able to buy that home as a direct result of our five per cent deposit scheme.”
“There are 13 million workers in Australia, 13 million Australians who get up early, work hard, support their families and help keep our country moving. They are nurses, teachers, truck drivers, warehouse workers, tradies, small-business owners, and every one of them deserves a fair go. They deserve the chance to get ahead, to keep more of what they earn and a tax system that rewards hard work. This is what our budget is fighting for and this is what our tax changes are about. I don't expect those opposite to understand that, because they don't fight for the 13 million workers in Australia—a Labor government does. It's why we're giving all 13 million Aussie workers a tax cut with the working Australians tax offset and the $1,000 instant tax deduction, as well as better pay for workers and a fair go for first home buyers.”