DEAR News Of The Area,

ALISON Penfold, National Party candidate for Lyne electorate, states the party will ‘ensure we get our Australia back on track’.

Is she aware that under the Labor Albanese government one million jobs, an historic high, have been created?

Or that at the time of the 2022 election real wage growth had declined by 3.4 percent.

Now, real wages continue to grow with, for the first time in the past fifteen years, a growth of four percent in four consecutive quarters.

In his first budget Treasurer Jim Chalmers turned the $79.8 budget deficit left by the Coalition into our first surplus budget in fifteen years.

By June 2024 a $9.3 billion surplus was achieved.

Not only that, but the budget has been managed to ease cost of living pressures.

This includes establishing eighty-four Medicare Urgent Care Clinics, with one million free visits.

More clinics are to come.

Increased bulk billing has seen 5.8 million extra free visits to GPs.

Cheaper medicines have saved us $1 billion.

A new Aged Care Act will come into place in July 2025 seeing 58 of the Royal Commission’s recommendations put in place.

Every household has been given $300 energy bill relief.

In TAFE 550,000 fee-free enrolments have been created (5000 in our electorate) to overcome skilled worker shortages in critical occupations.

One million families benefit from increased child-care capacity plus a subsidy guarantee of three days/week.

The wiping of $3 billion from higher education student debts will make a difference for three million students.

The Coalition voted against most of these benefits.

Much more to ease the cost of living and advance our country is to come from the Albanese government.

Regards,
Sue BAKER,
Camden Haven.