Cost of Living Relief

Deliver targeted cost-of-living measures including energy bill relief, cheaper medicines, and tax cuts for working Australians.

Cost of living

Labor has delivered energy bill relief payments, PBS medicine price cuts, and redesigned Stage 3 tax cuts weighted toward lower and middle incomes. Fair Work Act settings and annual wage reviews affect award wages.

Proposed / signalled: Further cost-of-living packages and energy relief remain periodically signalled in Budget updates; details change with each Budget cycle.

• Energy bill relief
• PBS cheaper medicines
• Stage 3 tax cuts (redesigned)
• Fair Work Act 2009

Childcare and family payments

Labor’s current settings include Child Care Subsidy percentage reforms, expanded Parental Leave Pay weeks, and Family Tax Benefit Parts A/B with income tests.

Proposed / signalled: Further CCS rate or hour changes may appear in future Budgets; eligibility still depends on activity tests and income.

• Child Care Subsidy
• Parental Leave Pay
• Family Tax Benefit

Education and student debt

Labor’s current settings include HECS-HELP indexation changes (wage-price index approach), Fee-Free TAFE places, and Universities Accord-related higher education directions. HELP repayment thresholds remain income-contingent.

Proposed / signalled: Further Accord implementation and repayment threshold changes may continue through Budgets.

• HECS-HELP
• Fee-Free TAFE
• Universities Accord

Jobs and wages

Labor’s industrial settings include Fair Work Act reforms (same job same pay, multi-employer bargaining pathways), National Employment Standards, modern awards and Fair Work Commission annual wage reviews.

Proposed / signalled: Further IR amendments may be signalled; award rates change each FWC decision.

• Fair Work Act 2009
• Modern awards
• National Employment Standards
• Annual wage review

Aged care

Labor’s aged care settings include Aged Care Act reforms, the Support at Home program trajectory, aged care worker wage decisions, and means-tested residential care fees. Age Pension remains the primary income support for eligible older Australians.

Proposed / signalled: Support at Home rollout timing and fee schedules continue to evolve through 2025–27.

• Aged Care Act reforms
• Support at Home
• Age Pension
• Means-tested care fees

Healthcare and Medicare

Labor’s current Medicare settings include bulk-billing incentive changes, cheaper PBS medicines, and Medicare Urgent Care Clinics. Medicare levy and safety net rules continue to apply.

Proposed / signalled: Further primary-care and bulk-billing expansions are periodically Budget-signalled.

• Medicare
• PBS
• Bulk-billing incentives
• Urgent Care Clinics

Medicare and Healthcare

Strengthen Medicare, reduce out-of-pocket healthcare costs, and expand access to primary care across regional Australia.

Housing

Labor’s current settings include the Housing Australia Future Fund for social/affordable supply, the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme (expanded from Oct 2025 with no place/income caps but price caps), Help to Buy shared equity, and Commonwealth Rent Assistance for eligible payment recipients.

Proposed / signalled: Further social housing builds and Help to Buy places are Budget-dependent. CRA rates index but do not cap private rents.

• Housing Australia Future Fund
• 5% Deposit Scheme
• Help to Buy
• Commonwealth Rent Assistance

Housing Affordability

Increase social and affordable housing supply, support first-home buyers, and reform planning to deliver more homes.

Immigration

Labor sets annual migration planning levels, has tightened some student visa integrity settings, and maintains skilled and family pathways under the Migration Act framework.

Proposed / signalled: Planning level numbers change each year; watch Budget and Home Affairs announcements.

• Migration planning levels
• Student visa settings
• Skilled migration

Integrity and accountability

Labor established the National Anti-Corruption Commission. Federal donation disclosure and lobbying rules remain an ongoing reform area.

Proposed / signalled: Further donation caps or truth-in-political-advertising proposals may be signalled; not all are law.

• National Anti-Corruption Commission
• Donation disclosure

Tax and superannuation

Current Labor settings include the Super Guarantee rising toward 12%, Payday Super timing reforms, existing contribution caps, and the redesigned Stage 3 personal income tax cuts. Age Pension income and assets tests remain separate Centrelink rules.

Proposed / signalled: Proposed higher tax on very large super balances (Division 296) has been contested and details may change; watch legislated thresholds.

• Super Guarantee
• Payday Super
• Contribution caps
• Stage 3 tax cuts
• Income and Assets Test