In his Budget reply speech, Labor Leader, Anthony Albanese, outlined a range of measures he would introduce if elected to “build a better future”.
Albanese said Labor’s plans would boost the economy with stronger wages and more secure work, invest in Australian skills, jobs, and manufacturing, back clean energy and build new infrastructure across the country.
He also said Labor would make childcare and power bills cheaper, protect Medicare, build more affordable housing and fix the crisis in aged care.
Describing the Budget as “a bunch of last-minute, one-off handouts for problems that have been a decade in the making”, Albanese said the past two years had exposed some fundamental weaknesses in the economy.
“Too many people are working jobs that don’t pay the bills, or let them plan for their future,” he said.
“Too many businesses can’t find skilled staff and too many industries are at the end of global supply chains, at the mercy of an uncertain world.”
He said Labor’s plan for growth and prosperity was based on five pillars.
The Powering Australia plan would drive investment in cheap, renewable energy, he said.
“We’ll create 604,000 new jobs by 2030, with five out of every six in the regions, and lower power bills for households and businesses alike.”
The Future Made in Australia plan would focus on making more things here, diversifying the economy and revitalising the regions.
Albanese said investing in infrastructure would be a major move, calling roads, rail, ports, and high-speed broadband the building blocks of a stronger, more connected and more efficient economy.
Plans for secure work and more opportunities for training would see more university places, 465,000 fee-free TAFE places, and the creation of Jobs and Skills Australia.
Albanese said the fifth pillar, cheaper childcare, would be good for productivity, workforce participation and economic growth.
He said a Labor Government would work with premiers and chief ministers across the political spectrum to achieve common objectives in health care and implement all recommendations of the Respect@Work report.
“We will create a National Anti-Corruption Commission because public money should always be invested in the public interest,” he said.
He said there would be an increase in defence spending, but it needed to improve technology and capabilities.
Wait times for claims by veterans would be cut and new veterans’ hubs would be rolled out across the country.
“We will establish a Disaster Ready Fund, because Australians deserve a plan to mitigate the ever-intensifying impact of natural disasters,” he said.
Albanese said a Labor Government would act on climate change and seize the chance to transform the country into a renewable energy superpower.
“Exporting resources will always be important to Australia’s economy but we should also use our resources – like our minerals and rare earths – to make products like batteries here, instead of just shipping them offshore and importing the finished goods,” he said.
Albanese also announced five measures to address the aged care crisis.
Every aged care facility would be required to have a registered nurse on site at all times.
Every Australian living in aged care would receive a minimum of 215 minutes of care per day, as recommended by the royal commission.
He said a Labor Government would back a real pay rise for aged care workers and work with the sector to develop and implement mandatory nutrition standards for aged care homes. And he said Labor would deliver new funding, more staff and better support to the aged care sector.
Terry Collins