Australians are facing a cost-of-living crisis, with wages failing to keep up with the increasing cost of groceries, power bills, rent, and mortgages.
In response to consultation with our community, I have:
- Successfully campaigned for changes in HECS/HELP indexation to improve repayment rules for tertiary students – saving 3 million Australians a total of $3 billion. Tertiary education should set young people up for life—not for a life of debt. In recent years increasing HECS debts have meant young people are scared to start courses; graduates are struggling to get home loans; couples are starting families later. Inflation and indexation have made HECS debts increase faster than they could be paid off. I’ve advocated strongly for HECS reform. In response to the pressure our community created, the government changed HECS indexation and promised more changes if it’s re-elected. It’s a great start—but there’s more to do. I’ll work to:
- Make tertiary courses and degrees more affordable.
- Achieve financial support for all prac placements for students in healthcare sector courses
- Secure fairer accounting of HECS payments
- Ensure that HECS debts don’t stop first home buyers from getting loans.
- Called for sensitive, evidence-based tax reform, lessening our reliance on income tax and improving housing affordability. This will be a major focus on the next term of government.
- Successfully advocated for fairer Stage 3 tax cuts - so they didn’t increase inflation, but did help those most in need of financial support.
- Urged the government to support the building of 1.2 million new homes and to increase Commonwealth Rental Assistance and support payments.
- Advocated for lower energy bills by helping homeowners and small businesses electrify.
- Voted to make childcare cheaper, and for better workplace protections for women.
- Called on the government to improve consumer protections in the supermarket, aviation, banking, and insurance industries.
My priorities are:
- Making housing more affordable and accessible.
- Reducing energy bills by helping households and small business electrify.
- Ensuring all families can access affordable quality childcare.
- Further reducing HECS debts and supporting secondary and tertiary education.
- Sensitive, evidence-based tax reform, lessening our reliance on income tax.
