On this day ten years ago, Kevin Rudd became just the third Labor leader to take our party into government from opposition since the Second World War.

Between 2007 and 2013, the Rudd and Gillard Labor Governments proudly delivered for the working families of Australia.

Labor protected and created jobs, lifted living standards, drove new investment in our schools and hospitals, tackled climate change, and elevated Australia’s standing in the world.

On this ten-year anniversary we celebrate the achievements and the legacy of two transforming terms and two reforming Prime Ministers.

We remember what Labor delivered:  

For the economy:

• Steering Australia through the Global Financial Crisis. While other advanced nations fell into recession, Kevin Rudd and Wayne Swan presided over an economy that didn’t just weather the storm, it grew.
• Nearly one million jobs were created during Labor’s time in government.
• Millions of working Australians received tax cuts.
• Australia was awarded a AAA credit rating from all three credit rating agencies for the first time in our history.

For workers:

• Abolishing WorkChoices – returning fairness to the workplace by protecting minimum standards and paid leave.
• Implementing Australia’s first national paid parental leave scheme.
• Implementing an industry policy to protect local jobs – including mandatory industry participation plans and procurement reforms.
• Investing in advanced manufacturing and keeping the car industry in Australia.

For our national safety net:

• Delivering the single biggest increase the pension in history – pulling one million pensioners out of poverty.
• Designing, funding and delivering the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

For a more equal Australia:

• The Apology to the Stolen Generations, and establishing the Closing the Gap framework.
• Amending more than 80 laws to remove discrimination against LGBTIQ Australians.

For the environment:

• Securing the Murray Darling Basin Plan – protecting irrigators and the environment.
• Implementing new conservation measures – including the world’s largest network of marine reserves.
• Comprehensive climate and energy policies that resulted in a steady decline in carbon pollution.
• Overseeing a massive growth in renewable energy – including one million households installing rooftop solar.

We salute the proud legacies of the Rudd and Gillard Governments:

In education:

• Implementing a needs-based school funding system, and delivering new buildings and refurbishments to 9,500 schools.
• Uncapping university places, with more than 190,000 additional students attending university under Labor.

In  health:

• Record levels of hospital funding and long-term reform through a national efficient price and activity based funding.

• Introducing world-leading plain-packaging laws.
• Training a record number of medical specialists.

In infrastructure:

• The biggest increase to infrastructure funding in history, including $60 billion invested in road and rail modernisation.
• Setting up a first-rate, fibre National Broadband Network.

In foreign policy:

• Successfully campaigning for a seat on the United Nations Security Council.
• Developing the Asian Century White Paper.

And we honour the Rudd and Gillard’s commitment to historical truth and acts of healing:

• The National Apology to the Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants.
• The National Apology for Forced Adoptions.
• Establishing the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. 

Today we pay tribute to Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard and all those who helped both elect Labor to government and deliver on these nation-changing reforms in office.

Every day of Turnbull’s conservatives is another reminder of how important Labor governments are.

Turnbull’s conservatives have cut schools funding, cut Medicare, cut essential services, cut penalty rates – and now they are increasing taxes on millions of working and middle class Australians.

The Turnbull Government needs to be defeated as soon as possible. That’s why we are working on our positive plans – and have already announced many new policies for Australians. This includes plans to boost schools funding, make university more affordable, protect TAFE and apprenticeships, and improve housing affordability.

Today we celebrate the achievements of Labor in office – and redouble our efforts to elect the next Labor government, for all Australians.