90 Second Statement - We Deliver, They Dont

12 February 2025

 

Mr REPACHOLI (Hunter) (13:56) 

One thing people always ask me is: what has Labor done for the Hunter? I love that question because I get to tell them all the great things we've delivered.

 

We've delivered a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in Cessnock. We promised it in 2022; we opened it in 2024. The opposition—guess what? They opposed it and will close it if they get a chance.

 

We've delivered two Medicare mental health clinics, in Cessnock and Muswellbrook. The opposition—guess what? They oppose them and will close them if they get a chance as well.

 

We've restored the after-hours GP access in Toronto, after ScoMo ripped the hours out. The opposition—not interested.

 

We've delivered fee-free TAFE so people can skill up without racking up a debt. They call it 'wasteful spending'. I reckon investing in Aussie workers is a whole lot smarter than spending billions on tax breaks for their mates at the top end of town.

 

We've delivered Same Job, Same Pay. Fair work should mean fair wages. The opposition fought tooth and nail to stop this—to keep those loopholes open.

 

And we've delivered cost-of-living relief—tax cuts, cheaper medicines, more bulk-billing doctors, cheaper child care and energy bill relief.

 

The opposition are like a streaker in a footy game—getting in the way, causing chaos and adding nothing of value apart from a bit of humour.

 

While we're getting on with cost-of-living relief and doing that hard, those opposite are still reading the instruction manuals. And I'd just like to say, while I can, that they think we're doing it tough—I'm out of time. Damn it!