Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will set up his bid for a third term with a promise of further expensive cost-of-living measures to address financial stress fuelling One Nation’s ascension as he expands a program to pay health workers as they study. Source: The Age.
In a speech to Labor faithful today at their national conference that Mr Albanese will use to frame the election’s battle lines, the Prime Minister will invoke 135 years of Labor tradition on practical responses to boost workers’ living standards rather than “raging against a system … without a plan to fix it”.
Mr Albanese will say that “people have been given every reason to feel like the economy is simply not working for them” as he seeks to boost the government’s political fortunes and meet pessimistic voters where they are.
“That goes deeper than sentiment – it’s a reality people are up against,” he will say, according to an advance copy of his speech, noting he was riding “rough seas” after a series of economic shocks and an oil crisis sparked by the Middle East war.
“It’s how we prove that the status quo is not set in stone. How we demonstrate to Australians that their hard work will pay off, that their effort is worth it. That faults in the system can be fixed [and] that Labor is delivering the real change Australians deserve.”
His emphasis on helping voters pay their bills, and stating this was a fundamental contrast with his opponents, suggests that Labor will test the fiscal boundaries and focus on cost of living relief in its next two pre-election budgets after spending political capital on revenue-raising tax concession changes this year.
Mr Albanese does not mention One Nation by name but his exhortations to reject populist politics underline the upended political dynamic two years out from the next election.
In the face of criticism from Opposition Leader Angus Taylor about an expanding and unproductive care sector, Mr Albanese will announce Labor is extending financial support to health students while they undertake training as part of their degrees. Labor did not provide the cost of the policy.
This will offer a weekly stipend to thousands of students in physio and occupational therapy, clinical psychology, pharmacy and podiatry, speech pathology, audiology, radiography, rehab therapies and paramedics.
FULL STORY
We feel your pain: PM sets election battle lines with One Nation, pledges cost of living relief (By Paul Sakkal and Natassia Chrysanthos, The Age)
