Lucy Wicks (Robertson, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I, too, would like to associate myself with the remarks of the member for Reid and the member for Scullion on the passing of Phillip Hughes. It is a very sad day for Australia.

But I am glad that the opposition has put forward this matter of public importance today, because it gives me the opportunity not only to refute it but also to place on record the coalition government's achievements since we came to office just over a year ago. Several excellent members on this side of the House have already outlined during this debate that we are not only committed to but are already delivering on many of our election commitments, and we are demonstrating great leadership as a government, led by a great Prime Minister, Tony Abbott—great leadership of this country that Labor never showed.

Great leadership impacts the everyday lives of Australian people and businesses, particularly people in my electorate of Robertson on the New South Wales Central Coast—the best region of the best country in the world in which to live. These same people were so sick of the complete failure of the Labor Party during their six years in government that they voted them out. I am sure that members opposite love to keep saying that only Labor offers people a grand vision—a grand vision like returning the budget to surplus, except of course they did not; or whacking the world's biggest carbon tax onto families and businesses; or opening Australia's borders to more than 50,000 illegal boat arrivals. I could go on and on about this, but of course history speaks for itself. We know that the people of the Central Coast in Robertson and Dobell, and indeed right around Australia, rejected Labor and its incompetence, its broken promises; and its complete and utter failure to provide real leadership and real vision for our nation.

Instead, people voted for positive change. While Labor talks about their vision and their leadership, the coalition government, led by Prime Minister Tony Abbott is getting on with the job of actually doing it. We have scrapped the carbon tax and delivered Australian families and businesses the biggest drop in electricity prices on record. Overall, households on the Central Coast are forecast to be $550 a year better off now that the carbon tax has been repealed. We are creating around 8,700 jobs per year due to the construction of the M1-M2 missing link, which will start next year. It is a vital piece of road infrastructure that will save the average commuter in Robertson 30 minutes a day travel time to the Sydney CBD. This is a commitment that was talked about for years by Labor, but which we are already delivering.

Unlike those opposite we believe in the future of the Central Coast as a region of excellence and opportunity and we are investing in this belief with a purpose-built building for the ATO and other commonwealth agencies, with 600 new jobs right in the heart of Gosford. It is a real game-changer for our region, and a key election commitment that we are delivering on. But all we have heard from Labor so far is a refusal to back these 600 jobs for Gosford, and constant criticism of the Central Coast. In contrast, our policies, our leadership and our commitments are backed by our community. In fact, just yesterday, the Daily Telegraph called our commitment a 'wave of jobs for the Coast'. The coalition makes no apologies for our determination to methodically deliver what we committed to in our growth plan for the Central Coast, which was more jobs, better infrastructure and a stronger future for our region.

But perhaps members opposite are thinking, 'What about the NBN? What about a vision of a connected Central Coast?' In my view, actions speak far louder than words. While I know the former member for Robertson loudly trumpeted to all and sundry that only Labor could deliver the NBN for the Central Coast, the facts, quite sadly, tell a different story. After six long years of talking about and promising the NBN, how many households and businesses on the Central Coast did they connect to the network? Was it ten thousand, you ask? Was it 5,000? Was it 500? No, sadly, the fact is that despite Labor's fanfare, all the people of the Central Coast got after six long years was 203 premises connected to the NBN. But I am pleased to say that since then we have been working to get the NBN to homes and business that need it the most. And, again, we are delivering. We are now rolling it out to more than 50,000 premises across the Central Coast in my electorate using the right mix of technologies to get the NBN delivered sooner, cheaper to taxpayers and more affordably to consumers.

May I conclude this debate by reflecting on a very important principle—that it is our job as elected representatives to represent the hopes, concerns and aspirations of the people who live in our communities, and it is the government's role to create the best possible environment for them to succeed. Thanks to the Abbott government we are doing just that. After six long years, finally the people of the Central Coast are seeing a government deliver on what is most important, and what they so richly deserve.

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