Cost of Living Discussions in the House of Reps (26/08/2025)

Cost of Living

• Cost of Living Pressures: Libby Coker, MP for Corangamite (ALP), raised concerns regarding government measures to address cost-of-living pressures during a session (Page 30).
• Response from the Minister for Social Services: Tanya Plibersek, MP for Sydney (ALP), provided insights into government achievements aimed at alleviating these pressures. She highlighted:
• Job creation and wage increases for minimum wage earners.
• Upcoming payment increases for over five million social security recipients, such as age pensioners, projected to make them about $5,000 a year better off by September 20 (Page 30).
• Increased rent assistance and the Homes for Australia plan aimed at facilitating home ownership (Page 30).

Housing Affordability

• Homeownership Accessibility: Various members discussed housing affordability, stressing government initiatives like the 5% deposit home buying scheme for first-home buyers, which aims to support young Australians in entering the property market (Pages 3-17).
• Questions Raised: During a Questions Without Notice session, members directed queries at the Prime Minister and other ministers about initiatives directed at improving housing affordability. Mr. Albanese, as the Prime Minister, reiterated the government’s commitment to enhancing homeownership access for young Australians (Pages 21-30).

National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025

• The introduction and anticipated passing of the National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025 will lower maximum PBS medicine costs, currently set at $31.60, to $25 starting January 2026 (Pages 49-66).
• Multiple speakers, including Claire Clutterham MP (ALP) and Matt Burnell MP (ALP), expressed their support, emphasizing the bill’s importance in lowering healthcare costs during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis and improving access to essential medicines for Australians (Pages 49-56).

Additional Discussions on Cost and Accessibility

• Energy Costs: Andrew Willcox, MP for Dawson, criticized the government’s energy policies, attributing rising living costs to a shift away from reliable energy sources and calling for a more balanced energy policy to mitigate economic decline (Pages 85-86).
• Community Feedback: Several members echoed the need for improved access to small business financing and support for local economies, underscoring the broader impacts of financial accessibility on community resilience (Pages 70, 88-90).

The proceedings underscored the government’s ongoing efforts to address cost-of-living challenges and improve housing affordability, while also emphasizing the crucial role of healthcare accessibility in alleviating financial pressures for Australian families.