Secure jobs, better pay.

After a decade of the Liberal and Nationals in government deliberately keeping wages low, our Labor Government is getting wages moving again.

• We’ve supported back-to-back increases in the minimum wage, and we’ve delivered an historic 15 per cent pay rise for aged care workers. 
• We’ve taken the gender pay gap to a record low.
• We’ve banned pay secrecy clauses. 
• We’ve made deliberate wage theft a crime.
• We’ve legislated our ‘same job, same pay’ protections for labour hire workers. 
• We are seeing wages grow at a higher rate than inflation.
• And we've made it easier for casuals workers to become permanent if they want to.

Investing in skills and training.

Whether it’s carpenters or chefs, plumbers or bricklayers – Australia needs more skilled workers.

We've already helped 350,000 students enrol in fee-free TAFE to get the skills they need for a good career in key areas we need. 

The scheme was so popular that we’ve made an additional 320,000 places available. 

And to make sure we’re providing training in the areas employers need, we’ve set up Jobs and Skills Australia. 

Relief for students.

Labor will always invest in education because we know it changes lives.

That’s why we’re wiping $3 billion in student debt and changing the way HELP loans are indexed to make it fairer and cheaper over the life of a loan.

And by backdating this change to mid-2023, we’re able to provide debt relief in the form of HELP loan credits to over 3 million Australians.

We’re also reducing financial barriers for the next generation of nurses, midwives, teachers and social workers.

These students will be eligible for a prac payment to support them while undertaking the compulsory placements that are required to graduate.

World class schools.

Education changes lives. And we believe every child should get the life-changing opportunity of a great school education.

That’s why my Government is working with states and territories to get all public schools to their full and fair funding level and to tie that funding to the reforms that will help children catch up, keep up, and finish school. 

We’re building a better and fairer education system, which makes sure no one is held back and no one is left behind.

Cheaper child care.

Early childhood education is good for children, good for families, and good for Australia.

We’ve made child care cheaper for more than 1 million Australian families. This helps parents, in particular mums, to get back to paid work if they want to.

And it means every child can get the best start in life.