Ms McBAIN (Eden-Monaro—Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories) (15:56): It's a pleasure to respond to this MPI, because what we have heard is that basically those opposite gave up. After nine years, they said: 'We're out of ideas. We can't do anymore rorts. We've gone through every colour coded spreadsheet we can find, and we still can't make a difference in Australians' lives.' That is why in 2022 the population voted for change and voted for an Albanese Labor government. We as a government are building Australia's future because we understand the importance of having a strong direction for our country—something that those opposite still don't have in opposition. They still don't have a single costed policy. There is no detail about their nuclear thought bubble. They are determined to hold people back. Since we came to government, we've got wages moving again after a decade of deliberately holding wages low. We have tackled inflation and we have delivered two budget surpluses without wasting money on 'back in black' mugs for a surplus that didn't happen under those opposite. We've made medicines cheaper, we've boosted bulk-billing, we've strengthened Medicare and we've increased regional health services. If it was up to those opposite, cost-of-living relief wouldn't actually be a thing, because they're determined to block every measure that we've put forward, without a single alternative solution. We have delivered a tax cut for every Australian, something that—you guessed it—those opposite voted against. We have expanded paid parental leave and will also pay superannuation on it, because taking time out to care for your children shouldn't leave you worse off. Our energy bill relief is rolling out, which, let's not forget, we implemented because the shadow Treasurer deliberately changed the law to hide electricity bill increases until after the 2022 election. From 1 July, 2.6 million minimum and award wage workers received a pay rise—the third consecutive pay rise increase under our government—because Labor will always stand up for workers and their rights. Aged-care workers, childcare workers and other workers low-paid industries—and that's on top of our record aged-care and childcare worker pay rises reducing pressure on some of our most valued workers, who are in professions that have been overlooked for too long under those opposite. Every regional community that I visit tells me the same thing: 'We need more housing to attract and retain the workers that we need.' And let me be clear: housing was not an issue that didn't exist before 2022. It was just that on this side of the House we actually recognised that, as the federal government, we had a role to play in it. That's why our government has invested $32 billion in housing initiatives, the biggest investment in a decade. It will ensure we get more homes off the ground in our regions. We've already seen more than 13,000 people now have homeownership under our regional first home buyer grant, because we expanded the eligibility criteria. We've announced under round 1 of the Housing Australia Future Fund more than 13,000 homes. That's more than we saw in an entire decade, because you actually have to put money where your mouth is and get on with delivering. Our $1.5 billion Housing Support Program is supporting local governments and state and territory governments to build enabling infrastructure, because councils told us that they needed more help getting the groundwork done. Fifty million dollars is already flowing to 80 projects across Australia under stream 1, including 73 local council projects aimed at boosting planning capabilities, and just this week our Help to Buy legislation passed parliament, something those opposite in bed with the Greens voted against time and time again. This will now help 40,000 low-and middle-income earners turn the keys on their own property. That's nurses; that's cleaners; that's carers; that's childcare workers. Something else our regional communities tell me all the time is that they need more help to repair and maintain roads across their council areas because for a decade, under those opposite, roads were literally driven into the ground. That's why we're progressively doubling Roads to Recovery over the next five years to a billion dollars annually. In the Leader of the Nationals' own electorate, that's more than $156 million over the next five years—an increase of $49 million. Just today, I met with one of the councils from the Maranoa electorate—Murweh Shire Council—and they will receive $10.7 million in Roads to Recovery, which is an increase of $3.4 million. I can tell you what they're saying: that this funding increase is not moving in the wrong direction; it's finally moving in the right direction. What they did say, though, was that our ongoing commitment to regional aviation is incredibly important for places like the Charleville Airport. Our $80 million investment to keep Rex's regional routes running shows we understand the importance of a strong regional aviation network. It keeps people connected. It keeps our businesses running and it ensures our regional communities thrive. Just like roads, the opposition did nothing for the regional aviation sector in their decade in government. Cancellations and delays are their only MO. But not everyone can travel by air, which is why we've increased a range of road programs including $437 million just announced for 230 priority upgrades across New South Wales, many in our regional areas. In my own electorate of Eden-Monaro, that's over $50 million to 16 projects. The road Black Spot Program is increasing from $110 million a year to $150 million a year, meaning more money for improving some of the most dangerous sections of our roads. We've launched the new Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program, which is a $200 million program annually, and we delivered an additional $250 million to regional councils through phase 4 of the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program. These programs not only make our roads safer; they make it easier for people to get around. Those opposite wouldn't know the right direction for this country if it was screaming out at them from a map, but a paper map is probably all you'd get from the opposition because they're determined to hold Australia back when it comes to digital connectivity, too. They bungled the rollout of the NBN with their deliberate underinvestment, and just 15 minutes down the road from here in my own electorate, half of some of the streets were stuck on the coalition's copper network for a decade while the other half had fibre to the premise under the previous Labor government. We have now fixed that with an investment of $2.4 billion to expand full-fibre NBN, including to 660,000 homes in our regions. Now they're looking to sell off the NBN to the lowest bidder because they're the party of privatisation, and, as the mayor of Flinders Ranges Council said, the first thing that goes under privatisation is service. We're a government that understands the value of investing in people and supporting them to build their own futures. We're supporting people to train at home so they can continue working locally because you shouldn't have to pack your bags to build a career. Our fee-free TAFE has already supported 500,000 people nationally, including over 127,000 people in our regions; 35,000 in construction courses and the same amount in early education; 50,000 in digital technology; 130,000 in aged care and disability care. This is a program that we'll make permanent because it's hugely successful. The Australian Council of Trade Unions said fee-free TAFE is making education more affordable and accessible, easing pressure on household budgets and ensuring more young people have the financial freedom to pursue their dreams. But the opposition, yet again at odds with the community, are now standing in the way of people's futures. Just last week, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition said, 'if you don't pay for it, you don't value it'. Well, tell that to the apprentice chef that said, 'I'm going to school to get a better job so we can have a better life'; or the student nurse that said, 'It gives a lot of young people and older people an opportunity.' This reckless disregard for people and what they need is the approach that those opposite took to Medicare and to the NDIS—they gutted both. But under an Albanese Labor government, we're delivering record investments to rebuild that damage, including an increase to the bulk billing incentive, cheaper medicines and 29 additional urgent care clinics in our most recent budget alone, including one in my own electorate on Morisset Street in Queanbeyan. As we enter our high-risk weather season—let's talk about the wrong direction, eh?—having been through the devastating Black Summer bushfires with my communities in the Bega Valley, I know the consequences of turning your back on disaster preparedness, which is exactly what we saw under those opposite. That is why we have set up the National Emergency Management Agency, to ensure that we have a coordinated approach when we need it. We have built the largest firefighting air fleet in the country's history, with 160 aircraft positioned across the country to protect our communities. And we established the $1 billion Disaster Ready Fund to invest in disaster resilience and risk reduction. Backwards is the only direction this country would be heading under the reckless approach by the Leader of the Opposition, Peter Dutton, and his 'no-alition'. We will continue to build Australia 's future on this side of the House and stand up for communities right across the country. The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Ms Claydon ): I'm just going to remind the minister and all speakers thereafter when referring to people who are members in this place, you must use their correct titles.