by Helen Said, Labor Party member, Melbourne Australia
After enjoying several free public transport trips in Victoria, courtesy of the Victorian Labor Government, I claimed a 20% rebate on my recently paid car registration. The period for claiming this rebate has been extended for another month so please apply if you haven't already done so!)
Although increased grocery prices are biting into these savings, I am at least in a position to keep working part time, beyond retirement age, without it affecting my pension, because Federal Labor permanently increased the work bonus for aged pensioners. I will certainly be much less likely to have to pay tax next year, thanks to Federal Labor's no receipts $1000 tax deduction, and other recent budgetary measures.
I also have a bit more superannuation to fall back on, because of Labor's policy (which was co-opted by the Liberals) to scrap the $450 threshold on part timers earning ESG superannuation contributions from their employers. Although I need to pull out some of my super for dental treatment, I don't need to worry about doctor's bills because Labor has extended Medicare and lowered prescription medicine costs and now my doctor bulk bills.
My energy costs are being contained, thanks to the the Victorian Labor Government's solar panel rebate and subsidised reverse cycle heating/air conditioning. The three hours of free electricity, from 11am-2pm, which begin her in October, are going to produce further savings for me as a pensioner. I can charge my phone, cook with electric appliances, use my breadmaker, yoghurt maker, heaters, cooler, fans, wash and dry clothes for free during that time. The more I electrify my house, the more savings I can make, because gas is more expensive and electrification is subsidised by the state government. Better for me and better for the planet.
Until the end of the year, I have a choice between paying a relatively high price for petrol (which at least fell for a few months, thanks to Federal Labor's interventions during Trump's Iran war) or paying half of my usual concession fare. I can always travel for free, as a senior on weekends, thanks to Vic Labor. I can also travel to a country town for the price of a suburban ticket, thanks to the previous Andrews Labor Government.
My daughter has done a free TAFE course, thanks to both state and federal Labor, and is now looking forward to a paid university work placement under Federal Labor's new scheme. She gets to uni quicker thanks to recent Labor State governmnet public transport upgrades. Although my children didn't receive the Whitlam Labor Government's free university education that I enjoyed, they have had their HECS debts reduced by 20%, thanks to PM Anthony Albanese.
My daughter and my friends' children are much more likely to become home owners, because of the latest Labor Government's budget, reforms to negative gearing and Capital Gains Taxes, its house building schemes and its 5% house deposits, as well as Labor's economic incentives for building apprentices.
The time I spend waiting for a doctor or dentist has drastically gone down. This is partly due to Labor introducing the free 1800MEDICARE service and Medicare Urgent Care Clinics. It is also due to the number of well qualified and dedicated health workers who have come from overseas. Other countries have borne most of the cost of raising and educating these health workers while Australia reaps the benefits of their skills and taxes.
Similarly with building - a disproportionately large proportion of migrants and children of migrants work in the bulding industry. My childhood home, my parents' current home and a large percentage of the housing in my home suburb were built by a Dutch-born builder, Lou Noordenne. When my uncle first migrated here from Egypt, he went to work for Noordenne as a second job on the weekends. These migrants worked very hard to churn out houses for Australians of all backgrounds and many of these quality 1960s and 1970s homes still stand today.
Migrants and their children build more houses than they occupy. Unfortunately, the conservative side of politics scapegoats migrants for economic and housing problems that the conservative side of politics created. Speaking truth in defence of all disadvantaged minority groups is a big part of why I get involved in political advocacy.
I and my friends are intending to use Services at Home as we age, originally introduced as Aged Care packages by Labor. It is disappointing that the current services have introduced user contributions. It's also disappointing that Labor-designed NDIS services are about to be cut back. I would like to see Labor properly tax the billionaire class and provide more services to older and disabled people. To take on the billionaire class, voters need to become better informed and stop supporting political parties that conservative billionaires fund. Hopefully, Labor's plan to fully fund government schools will make a difference to the political literacy of the voters of tomorrow.
