A ban on sports betting ads during match broadcasts, more investment in women’s health and a boost to child safety are at the centre of a family-focused budget reply speech by Peter Dutton.
While the opposition leader supported measures in the federal budget such as a tripling of the bulk billing incentive and expanding single parent payments, he said the government missed an opportunity to address cost of living concerns.
“The treasurer’s cost of living relief is only temporary. That temporary relief is targeted at Australians on welfare but at the expense of the many, including Labor’s working poor,” Mr Dutton told parliament on Thursday.
“It’s a band-aid now, but much more pain later, and the government’s spending is only going to fuel the nation’s inflation.”
Mr Dutton used his reply speech to announce the coalition would ban sports betting ads during match broadcasts.
The ban would extend during play as well as one hour either side of a match.
“The bombardment of betting ads takes the joy out of televised sports,” Mr Dutton said.
“Worse, they are changing the culture of our country in a bad way and normalising gambling at a young age.”
The opposition leader said the coalition would also spend $5 million to review women-specific items on the Medicare Benefits Schedule, to ensure treatment for conditions such as endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome were more accessible.
He also said the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation, which was established during the last coalition government, would be doubled in size.
Mr Dutton told parliament the federal budget would only add to inflationary spending and increase cost of living pressures for families.
He said millions of people had been forgotten by the government.
“Australians around our country are grappling with mounting costs. Your mortgage repayments, gas and electricity bills, supermarket and petrol station receipts, and insurance premiums are the evidence,” he said.
“Very few Australians can say they are better off today than they were 12 months ago when Labor was elected.”
The opposition leader also reaffirmed the party’s policy to allow people to dip into their superannuation to buy their first home, along with restoring the tax cap of 23.9 per cent.
Mr Dutton also said the coalition would introduce an importer container levy should they win government to protect farmers.
“Under a coalition government, Australian farmers will not be punished for the biosecurity risk others pose,” he said.
While the budget’s $14.6 billion in cost of living relief included $500 in energy bill relief for eligible households and $650 for small businesses, Mr Dutton said power bills would still increase in coming months.
He also said governments should consider small modular nuclear power as part of the country’s energy mix.
Mr Dutton promised to restore funding for Medicare-subsidised psychology sessions from 10 per person to 20.
In the speech, Mr Dutton doubled down on claims families with children and a mortgage would be $25,000 worse off under the government.
“Australians will be disappointed with the Albanese government’s second budget which adds to inflation and cost-of-living pressures,” he said.
“The budget hurts working Australians, worse, it risks creating a generation of working poor Australians.”
By Andrew Brown in Canberra