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Labor is calling on the Morrison Government to create work for thousands of tradies in almost every suburb and town across Australia by investing half a billion dollars to fast-track urgent repairs to social housing.
This is what we would do if we were in Government right now.
Twenty-five per cent of Australia’s social housing needs urgent repair and maintenance. That’s 100,000 homes.
Some of these homes have problems such as mould, leaking roofs and water damage, while others are simply unfit for people to live in.
Repairs could start almost immediately, providing work for local plumbers, chippies, sparkies, plasterers and painters as well as companies that manufacture building supplies and materials. This would also provide opportunities for apprentices.
This should involve an immediate $500 million contribution from the Commonwealth and a partnership with the states, with the expectation they would contribute up to the same amount in new funding.
Housing construction is expected to plummet this financial year from 170,000 to as few as 125,000 new home builds.
This investment would be a win-win. It would provide work for local tradies, and fix homes that need to be fixed.
Data shows women over the age of 55 are the fastest growing demographic facing homelessness. Two-thirds of primary social housing tenants are women on low incomes.
A range of industry experts have called for more investment in social housing, including the Housing Industry Association, Master Builders Association, Property Council of Australia, Equity Economics and Commonwealth Bank.
This work needs to be done now.
Ahead of the next election, Labor will bring forward a comprehensive plan for the repair and construction of social housing.

Women are at the heart of Labor’s plan to kickstart the economy and get Australians back to work.
An Albanese Labor Government will introduce the Working Family Childcare Boost to cut child care fees and put more money into the pockets of working families, straight away.
Child care fees in Australia are some of the highest in the world. Under this plan, Labor will:

• Scrap the $10,560 child care subsidy cap which often sees women losing money from an extra day’s work;
• Lift the maximum child care subsidy rate to 90 per cent; and
• Increase child care subsidy rates and taper them for every family earning less than $530,000.

This means 97 per cent of all families in the system will save between $600 to $2,900 a year. No family will be worse off.
Importantly, Labor will keep working to fix Australia’s broken child care system, which currently locks out more than 100,000 families because they just can’t afford it.
The Productivity Commission will conduct a comprehensive review of the sector with the aim of implementing a universal 90 per cent subsidy for all families.
The ACCC will design a price regulation mechanism to shed light on costs and fees and drive them down for good. The ACCC will examine the relationship between funding, fees, profits and educators’ salaries.
Taxpayer dollars spent on child care should flow directly through to savings for Australian families.
The Coalition’s system has failed parents – particularly women. It has created a financial disincentive for many second wage earners to work full time, or even increase their hours.
On top of that, since this Government was elected in 2013, child care fees have skyrocketed by almost 35 per cent. Now, families pay on average $3,800 more per year.

An Albanese Labor Government will rebuild the nation’s manufacturing industry with a comprehensive plan to create jobs, boost vital skills, bring industry expertise back onshore and supercharge national productivity.
As part of his budget reply speech in Canberra tonight, Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese unveiled A Future Made in Australia ­– Labor’s blueprint for local manufacturing jobs and skills – which includes:

• A National Rail Manufacturing Plan to see more trains built in Australia by local workers and ensure every dollar of federal funding spent on rail projects boosts local jobs and industry;
• A Defence Industry Development Strategy to leverage our $270 billion investment pipeline, develop sovereign industrial and research capabilities and build skills and expertise within the Australian workforce; and
• An Australian Skills Guarantee to give apprentices, trainees and cadets a foot in the door when it comes to work on major Commonwealth projects.

This will build on the jobs that will flow from Labor’s plans for an Australian Centre for Disease Control and a social housing repair program to get tradies back on the tools.
Labor’s National Rail Manufacturing Plan will undertake a national audit of passenger train capacity and condition, develop our rail procurement and manufacturing strategy, assess how we can grow jobs, bolster research and development and collaborate with innovation initiatives and organisations.
Importantly, it will reinstate the important role of the Rail Supplier Advocate cut by the Liberals in 2013 – to help small and medium-sized businesses identify export opportunities and get a foot in the door with government purchasing bodies.
The Defence Industry Development Strategy will put Australian industry, workers and security first with a framework to maximise and publicly disclose local content for all major defence material procurements and local defence contracts.
Finally, an Australian Skills Guarantee will ensure that one in 10 jobs on major federally funded infrastructure projects are given to apprentices, trainees or cadets.
This work will be supported by Jobs and Skills Australia – announced by Mr Albanese last year – an independent body designed to bring together the business community, states and territories, unions, education providers and regional organisations to match skills training with the evolving demands of industry.

Tax cuts for 11 million Australians will flow in the coming weeks after the Morrison Government secured the passage of the legislation through the Federal Parliament today.
The tax relief package, for both individuals and business, is part of our COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan for Australia to create jobs, rebuild our economy and secure Australia’s future.
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will update its schedules next week, with software payroll companies to update over the coming weeks, to get more money into the pockets of hard-working Australians as quickly as possible.
Getting money into the pockets of Australians will give them more to spend at their local shops helping to create more jobs.
Our business tax relief measures will also help to keep businesses to stay afloat, to grow and to hire more people.
It is estimated our tax relief package to reduce the personal income tax burden and encourage business investment will create around 100,000 jobs by the end of 2021-22 and boost GDP by around $6 billion in 2020‑21 and $19 billion in 2021-22.
Tax relief for individuals
The package brings forward Stage two of our Personal Income Tax Plan by two years. From 1 July 2020:
The Government is also providing additional targeted support to low-and middle-income Australians.
In 2020‑21, low-and middle-income earners will receive a one-off additional benefit of up to $1,080 from the low and middle income tax offset (LMITO).
Together, bringing forward Stage two and providing the additional LMITO means more than 11 million Australian taxpayers will get a tax cut, with effect from 1 July this year.
Tax relief for business
Businesses with a turnover of up to $5 billion are now able to immediately deduct the full cost of eligible depreciable assets as long as they are first used or installed by 30 June 2022.
This will help to rebuild our economy and create more jobs by kick-starting activity in the private sector.
To complement this, the Government will also temporarily allow companies with a turnover of up to $5 billion to offset tax losses against previous profits on which tax has been paid.
This will provide a targeted cash flow boost to help keep businesses in business and Australians in jobs.
Businesses with an aggregated annual turnover between $10 million and $50 million will, for the first time, be able to access up to ten small business tax concessions.
This will reduce red tape and support around 20,000 businesses to attract workers and retain jobs.
Under the changes passed by the Parliament the Government will also enhance previously announced reforms to invest an additional $2 billion through the Research and Development Tax Incentive.
This will help more than 11,400 companies that invest in research and development to create the jobs of today and tomorrow.
Tax relief for hard-working Australians and businesses is part of the Government’s Economic Recovery Plan to create jobs, rebuild the economy and secure Australia’s future.

Today’s Australian Bureau of Statistics lending indicators data shows HomeBuilder is delivering the stimulus the construction industry needs, with the number of loans for the construction of new dwellings rising to its highest level in over a decade, and giving first home buyers confidence to enter the market.
In August 2020, the number of loans for the construction of a new dwelling increased by 22.9 per cent, up 34 per cent through the year.
HomeBuilder has seen first home buyers flood into the housing market with first home buyer loans rising dramatically in August to be 17.7 per cent higher, up 37.3 per cent through the year, the highest level since October 2009
The Housing Industry Association’s (HIA) Chief Economist Tim Reardon said that the data demonstrated the stimulus from HomeBuilder was emerging and protecting the jobs of tradies, quote;
“The short-term stimulus from HomeBuilder is emerging in the housing finance data released by the ABS today. This is particularly evident in the issuing of loans for the construction of new homes and in lending to first home buyers”
“There has been a substantial improvement in sentiment and confidence in the housing market.”
“It is evident in today’s data that there will be an increase in work on the ground in the December quarter this year which will protect jobs in the construction industry and the broader economy.”
Today’s results add to the growing number of leading indicators which show that HomeBuilder is delivering the support the residential construction industry needs. Recent data shows;

• HIA new home sales data in the three months to August 2020 shows sales have risen 61.3 per cent compared to the previous quarter since HomeBuilder was announced.

• ABS Building Approvals data shows private sector house approvals are at their highest level since February 2019, with over 9,000 approvals recorded.

The response to HomeBuilder from home buyers and tradies has been overwhelmingly positive and this data shows we are keeping the pipeline of construction flowing, which protects jobs.
The Morrison Government is committed to doing all we can to help Australians get into a home of their own as part of our Economic Recovery Plan for Australia.