We know how tough things have been for Aussie households, especially with skyrocketing energy bills. That's why we've taken action to help out. In our first two budgets, we've introduced smart, targeted measures that won’t add to inflation but will make a real difference.
Here’s what we've done:
Tax cuts for everyone: We’ve delivered cost-of-living tax cuts to reward hardworking Australians.
Energy bill relief: Every household will get $300 off their power bills, and 1 million small businesses will get a $325 rebate.
Pay increases: We’ve supported three pay rises for minimum wage workers and delivered a historic 15% pay rise for aged care workers.
Fairer pay for casual workers: We’ve put in place ‘same job, same pay’ protections for casual workers.
Strengthening Medicare
Labor built Medicare, and we’ll always keep it strong. We're investing $3 billion to help pharmacies and keep medicine costs down.
PBS prescription freeze: We’re freezing the maximum cost of PBS prescriptions for a year, so no one will pay more than $31.60 for a PBS script.
For those with pensioner or concession cards, we’re freezing the price for 5 years, so they won’t pay more than $7.70 for their medicine.
We’re also adding more life-changing medicines to the PBS list.
Relief for Students
We believe education changes lives, so we’re investing in it. That’s why we’re wiping $3 billion in student debt and making HELP loans cheaper and fairer.
By backdating this change to mid-2023, over 3 million Australians will get debt relief in the form of HELP loan credits.
We’re also reducing financial barriers for future nurses, midwives, teachers, and social workers by offering support for their mandatory placements.
A Fair Go for Consumers
We want Aussies to get a fair deal when they shop. That’s why we’re holding supermarkets accountable with a strong competition watchdog and making the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct mandatory. By boosting competition, we’ll help lower prices.
More Support for Parents
New parents need flexibility and support. That’s why we’re delivering the biggest boost to Paid Parental Leave since Labor created it in 2011.
We’re moving towards six months of paid leave with the option for parents to split it however they want.
And we’re introducing paid super on government Paid Parental Leave, so more dads can take time off work, and mums get more opportunities to return to the workforce.
More Help for Renters
We’re making sure renters get the support they need. This includes the first back-to-back increase to Commonwealth Rent Assistance in more than 30 years. It’s much-needed help for renters across the country who are doing it tough.
These actions show that Labor is committed to making Australia a fairer, better place to live. We’re doing everything we can to support those who need it most.
