I'd like to begin by thanking the member for Page for moving this motion today because it gives me as a proud regional member of parliament the opportunity to strongly reject it. The Albanese government is backing in rapidly growing regions like mine. Labor understand the importance of regions, and we will always support them. So here's what we are doing, in my electorate of Corangamite alone.

We're delivering critical investment to build a better future for locals—from major road improvements to massive rail duplications, and from new facilities for football and netball clubs to new learning centres for schools. We're supporting men's sheds and community houses; building new swimming pools; supporting surf lifesaving clubs and food relief services; and supporting farmers and primary producers. From the $318 million upgrade of the Barwon Heads Road to upgrades of Grubb Road in Ocean Grove, we're building the roads we need now and for the future. During the election campaign, we committed $5.4 million to upgrade the Drysdale Hawks netball courts, and $1 million in support to ensure Grovedale netball courts are fit for purpose.

We're also restoring integrity in grants programs, with the $600 million Growing Regions Program and the $400 million Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program. On top of that, the Albanese government is progressively increasing the Roads to Recovery funding from $500 million to $1 billion per year over the next five years, delivering much-needed road upgrades across the region. And more than $3.3 million in federal funding has been provided to improve safety at 11 crash-prone sites across the Surf Coast and broader Geelong region. These sites are dangerous. There have been several serious accidents at these sites. Our government recognise this and we are acting.

We are also strengthening Medicare for regional Australians. Our government is rolling out Medicare mental health hubs and urgent care clinics across our country, including one right in the heart of my electorate in Torquay. Bulk-billing rates are on the up, enabling more people to see a GP without it impacting their bank balance. Medicare billing data shows that, under the Albanese government, we are reviving bulk-billing. Locals in regional Australia have had an additional 586,003 visits to a GP just in the past year. That's a fact. Incentives to ensure we have more GPs and nurses in our regions are underway. So, no matter how much the opposition tries to spin it, the data speaks for itself.

We also know that free TAFE is changing lives for so many people across my region and regional Australia. Australians are embracing this opportunity and embarking on a new journey as builders, electricians and workers in the aged-care and broader care sector. Data from the states and territories shows that, from January 2023 to March this year, there were more than 170,000 courses completed. It also finds there have been more than 650,000 free TAFE enrolments in the same period. TAFE is opening doors to new careers and giving Australians the chance to find secure, well-paid work—and, in regions, this matters.

For women and families, our government is expanding the Paid Parental Leave scheme to 24 weeks and then 26 weeks for parents, with super payments included. It's a policy that is truly life changing and a clear example of how Labor governments are prepared to support families not just in cities but in our regions. It doesn't matter if they live in metro Melbourne or St Leonards in my electorate, this policy will make a positive difference to the lives of so many families.

The Albanese government is committed to a better NBN, protecting penalty rates for regional workers, reducing student debt in our regions and providing access for cheaper child care in our regions. We are committed to forging a future that opens the door to opportunities for families not just across the Bellarine and Surf Coast in Geelong in my area of Corangamite but across our nation. It's a future where workers are supported, communities are connected, infrastructure is actually delivered and our manufacturing industries are revitalised.