Opposition leader Peter Dutton tackles health, energy, migration and more in second budget reply speech

Opposition leader Peter Dutton has revealed a suite of health, energy and welfare measures he plans to take to the next federal election.

Nuclear power and more domestic gas are key to Australia’s energy future Peter Dutton has declared as he accused Labor of fuelling inflation and failing to tackle the nation’s housing crisis amid soaring migration. 

The Opposition leader said the federal government’s budget had not done enough to reduce power prices, groceries and other household bills, warning prices would continue to rise as Labor’s climate change plan put the nation on the “wrong energy path”.

In his second budget in reply speech on Thursday night, Mr Dutton attacked Labor for refusing to consider onshore small and micro modular nuclear reactors as a part of Australia’s “energy mix”.

“We want to see emissions go down,” he said. 

“Next generation, small modular nuclear technologies are safe, reliable, cost effective, can be plugged into existing grids where we have turned-off coal, and emit zero emissions.”

The Coalition will spend $5m to review female-specific health items subsidised by Medicare.

Mr Dutton also vowed to get more domestic gas supply into the energy system if elected in 2025. 

“With the government against coal and nuclear, gas remains the only viable firming power,” he said

Mr Dutton said Labor’s ‘Big Australia’ migration approach would “make the cost of living crisis and inflation worse”.

“A Coalition government will sensibly manage migration in conjunction with proper infrastructure planning,” he said. 

Mr Dutton said he supported the government’s Budget measures related to aged care, new medicines and the NDIS, but did not explicitly back Labor’s $40 fortnightly increase to Jobseeker.

Instead he announced a future Coalition government would increase the threshold for how much a person on Jobseeker could earn before their welfare payment was reduced. 

The opposition will seek to woo female voters, middle Australia families and the “working poor” with a suite of measures in “forgotten” areas of health and guaranteeing stage three income tax cuts. 

Opposition leader Peter Dutton has visited Alice Springs multiple times speaking with communities about issues of crime, child abuse and welfare payments. Picture: Supplied

Health was a major focus of the speech, with Mr Dutton committing the Coalition to returning the number of Medicare-subsidised psychology sessions to 20 a year, after Labor slashed the annual amount to 10.

“I want an Australia where we support Australians who are unwell – not an Australia which leaves them behind,” Mr Dutton said.

Women’s health issues were specifically targeted with the recommitment of $4 million for Ovarian Cancer Australia, and a $5m investment to review female-specific health items on the Medicare Benefits Schedule to ensure women had affordable access to services and treatments.

Mr Dutton also revealed the Coalition would move to ban sports betting advertising both during, and an hour each side of, game broadcasts.

“The bombardment of betting ads takes the joy out of televised sports,” he said.

“Worse, they are changing the culture of our country in a bad way and normalising gambling at a young age.”

Mr Dutton renewed his calls for a royal commission into child sexual abuse in Indigenous communities and reaffirmed the Coalition’s commitment to reinstating the cashless debit card “in communities who seek to have it”.

If elected the Coalition would also double the size of the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation.