Supporting Local Businesses This Holiday Season
A lot of people will look back on 2024 and say: gee, that was a tough year to get through. I know it’s been hard.
Whether it was at the supermarket checkout, when the electricity bill arrived or mortgages came off fixed rates, everyone felt it in some way at the hip pocket.
And that’s why the Albanese Government has taken unprecedented measures to get wages moving, relieve cost of living pressures wherever we could, and deliver balanced budgets.
When we came to government, we inherited an inflation rate of 6.1 percent. Now inflation has dropped to below 3 percent – the lowest rate we’ve seen since early 2021 when we were in the midst of COVID. That’s only happened because of how economically responsible we’ve been.
In talking to people about the cost of living relief we’ve provided, nearly everyone has had some benefit from tax cuts, or the $300 energy relief, cheaper medicines or extra paid parental leave and cheaper childcare.
We’re seeing more people being bulk-billed at the GP – a small but significant turnaround. There are more free mental health services in the Hawkesbury, with Medicare Mental Health Service (badged as Head to Health) and Headspace, both in Richmond.
If you’ve got a young person training in a skills shortage area like construction or hospitality, I hope they’ve chosen one of the many free TAFE courses. These courses have been so successful that if Labor is reelected next year, we’re making them permanently free. We know there’s more to do as we go into 2025.
However, there’s one sector that needs your support as you get ready for Christmas – and that’s our local small business community. Despite this year’s challenges, businesses in the Hawkesbury have continued to employ locals, support other local businesses, and donate to local sporting and community organisations. They’ve been heroes.
As you do the mad dash for Christmas gifts, I encourage you to look no further than our local businesses. As always, I’ll be shopping local this year, and I look forward to gifting my friends and family something created or curated in the Hawkesbury.
If you’re an essential worker with shifts over the holidays, thank you! And if you get to enjoy a break with family or friends, in whatever way you spend it, I hope you have a lovely, safe Christmas and New Year.
