Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Mr Deputy Speaker Hastie, I reiterate that it is great to see the member for Fowler back in the parliament. Two days on from the Treasurer delivering the budget, I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate the Treasurer, Scott Morrison, on all his hard work that went into the preparation of this budget. I also extend my congratulations to our Prime Minister and the finance minister on their contributions as well.

This is the 10th budget I have been privileged to see delivered in my time as the federal member for Swan. Of course, six of those years were during the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd years, when the budget was handed down by the member for Lilley, Wayne Swan. I recall the response to the 2013 budget in particular, when the people of Australia had endured six years of fiscal recklessness by the Labor government. I remember it well because the response was overwhelmingly described as 'lukewarm at best'.

But this week feels very different to those dark days of the Labor budgets, because what the Treasurer has delivered is a budget based on fairness, security and opportunity. It is a budget that recognises our challenges but seizes our opportunities. It realises our goals and delivers on this government's national economic plan. The Treasurer noted that, despite continued economic growth, not all Australians have shared in the rewards. He noted that many remain frustrated at not getting ahead and that the pressures on families, small-business owners and everyday, hardworking Australians have been mounting.

This rings true for the people of Swan. As I am sure most members of the House did, I went through the budget papers to assess the impact these new measures will have on my constituents. I would like the indulgence of the Chamber to say just how this budget will alleviate pressures on the residents of Swan.

For parents across Australia, our children's health and education are our priority. As a custodial single parent to my son, I understand when families approach me with their concerns about the future of their children's education. Our government has acted to guarantee the services that Australian families use and need through our needs based funding model for schools. This will see a total increase in federal government funding for the schools in Swan of $312 million over the next 10 years, going to the 55 primary and secondary schools that educate nearly 21,000 children in my electorate.

For our younger families, we have developed reforms that will assist them as they juggle work and family in securing their financial futures. There are currently 7,980 families in my electorate of Swan using government-supported child care. Our childcare reforms, passed recently, ensure each and every one of these families has access to affordable care. As they grow, we are ensuring that all children in Swan can access 15 hours of preschool a week. This will see nearly 2,000 children in Swan reaping the benefits of the $2.5 million in funding for Swan announced by the government.

Our family's health is always of the utmost importance. That is why this government will continue to provide record funding for Medicare, despite continued scare campaigns, since the election, from those opposite. In the last financial year alone there were more than 600,000 GP services bulk-billed in Swan, putting the GP bulk-billing rate at 76.2 per cent for the electorate. Our government is securing the future of Medicare with a dedicated fund which will continue to protect these vital services for all Australians.

In addition, this budget secures funding for the National Disability Insurance Scheme. The Treasurer noted that as Australians we always look after our mates and we look after those who are less fortunate than ourselves. I am very proud that the coalition government are delivering the best care we can provide to those who need it the most. Once fully rolled out, the NDIS will directly help an estimated 2,891 people in the electorate of Swan.

My electorate of Swan is filled with small businesses. We have the Welshpool industrial hub, the Belmont Business Park, more than 100 car yards and an extensive cafe strip in Victoria Park, where my electorate office is located. The Turnbull government knows that it is the small businesses that are the heart and soul of the Australian economy. That is why this government is committed to delivering tax relief for small businesses. More than 17,000 small businesses in Swan can take advantage of the instant asset write-off. Further to this, more than 17,000 businesses in Swan will be eligible for our small and medium business tax cuts. This is how we deliver for hardworking Australians. We support families, we support their health services and we secure their children's education. We reward small business owners who take on a great risk to drive our nation's economy. This coalition government is committed to fairness, opportunity and security for all Australians.

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