Mrs PHILLIPS (Gilmore) (16:18): I know people in my electorate of Gilmore are doing it tough, which is why the Albanese government is taking practical steps to help ease the cost of living. I'm really looking forward to Treasurer Jim Chalmers' budget speech tonight when he will build upon our plan to provide more meaningful and sensible cost-of-living assistance.

This week we have announced an additional $150 in energy bill relief for households and small business, ensuring Australians can keep more of what they earn. That's on top of the $300 energy rebate that people across the country have already received.

Health care has always been a top priority in my electorate, which is why I'm thrilled that the Albanese Labor government will make cheaper medicines even cheaper with a script to cost Australians no more than $25 under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

Gilmore residents have already benefitted from Labor's cheaper medicines, saving almost $10 million on the cost of their scripts during our time in government. Under a re-elected Labor government, they will save even further, with a more than 20 per cent cut in the maximum cost of PBS medicines to save Australians $200 million each year.

It's been more than two decades since Australians paid no more than $25 for a PBS medicine. In stark contrast, when the Liberal leader was the health minister, he tried to jack-up the cost of medicines, he tried to end bulk-billing and he wanted to slash funding for Medicare. In opposition, the Liberals have voted to block cheaper medicines six times.

With an older population, accessible and affordable health services play a critical role in my electorate. South Coast pensioners and concession cardholders will have more money in their wallets because, for the next five years, they won't pay more than $7.70 for a PBS script.

Since the Batemans Bay Medicare Urgent Care Clinic opened in December 2023, we've seen more than 12,500 patients walk through the doors, all bulk-billed.

I'm thrilled that, under a re-elected Albanese Labor government, the Batemans Bay urgent care clinic will open from 6 am until midnight, and a new federally funded clinic will open its doors in Nowra.

The recently opened walk-in Medicare mental health clinics at Nowra and Moruya are also providing free access to mental health support for people in our community when they need it most. And we are expanding the bulk-billing incentive program so more people across Gilmore can see their GP for free. These are tangible ways we're helping Australians with the cost of living.

I'm pleased to see individuals, families, students and seniors across my electorate already benefiting from a range of measures we have introduced to ease financial stress while placing downward pressure on inflation.

From 1 July, 64,000 taxpayers in Gilmore received an average tax cut of $1,405. That's money going straight back into the pockets of hardworking locals. Gilmore pensioners and seniors are saving in many other ways, with an increase in rent assistance, the 12-month freeze on deeming rates plus a wage increase for aged-care workers and more home-care packages.

We know cost of living is biting families. That's why we've given everyone a tax cut and provided wage increases for our lowest-paid workers. The 10 per cent increase in rent assistance means an average increase of $19 per fortnight for over 8,000 people in Gilmore.

We're helping people save at the checkout, too, with the CHOICE supermarket price monitoring making supermarkets more competitive and allowing consumers to make price comparisons. These are real, practical savings and effective cost-of-living measures.

Students are receiving a leg-up, with $3 billion wiped from HECS and apprentice loans across the country, including for 13,286 locals in Gilmore. We'll wipe 20 per cent off student debt, too. Let's not forget our plan to keep TAFE free and to keep our Commonwealth prac payments for nurses, teachers and social workers, meaning they can now earn money while they learn.

People of all ages and from all walks of life are already reaping the benefits of this government's responsible cost-of-living measures. That wouldn't be the case if the Liberals had their way, because those opposite have opposed our cost-of-living measures time and time again.

They opposed our tax cuts for every taxpayer. They've opposed our Medicare urgent care clinics. They've opposed free TAFE, cheaper medicines and cheaper child care. And they've opposed our $300 energy bill relief.

Australians would have been much worse off over the last couple of years if Peter Dutton had had his way.

They will be worse off still if he wins the election.