House debates
Thursday, 26 March 2015
Statements by Members
New South Wales State Election
1:33 pm
Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
On Saturday the people of New South Wales have the opportunity to get rid of a bad government, a government that has shown that it is in the pocket of developers. In the Hunter and on the Central Coast, all but one state Liberal member have been forced to either resign or move to the crossbench because they have taken illegal donations from developers.
Karen McNamaraJill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
There has been a steady procession of Liberals from our area appearing before ICAC. It is interesting to hear the member for Dobell calling out, because she has also appeared before ICAC—something that is totally unacceptable.
But the Baird government's problems do not stop with ICAC. The Baird government's Smart and Skilled program has been an attack on TAFE, an attack on students and has led to massive job losses. Mike Baird failed to stand up to Tony Abbott when he ripped $16 billion out of New South Wales hospitals, when he cut pension indexation, leaving 775,000 pensioners in New South Wales worse off, when he axed the schoolkids bonus and when Tony Abbott kicked 400,000 New South Wales families off family tax benefit.
And now Mike Baird wants to sell off our electricity assets. Under Mike Baird, electricity prices have only gone one way, and that is up. We need in New South Wales a government that will stand up to Tony Abbott and not sell off our electricity. (Time expired)
1:34 pm
Fiona Scott (Lindsay, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Firstly I would like to correct the previous speaker, the member for Shortland, and say that the Baird government will be leasing less than half of their assets. Out of the leasing of less than half the assets, they will buy a whole heap more assets and at the end of the day the people of New South Wales will own both.
What that means is more than two million people will move into Western Sydney over the next 25 years. This is a city about which the former Premier, Bob Carr, said, 'The city is full.' So the city was choked, with no infrastructure. It is great to see the member for Grayndler here, a big advocate for infrastructure for the people of Western Sydney.
What we want to see is $3.6 billion worth of infrastructure being given to the people of Western Sydney, by both the state government and the federal government together—$2.9 billion from the feds, $1.1 billion from the state government. Then we look at the M4. The M4 will see an upgrade from the Blue Mountains all the way into the WestConnex project and then around through to the M5. This will be more than two Snowy Mountains schemes—let me repeat that: more than two Snowy Mountains schemes.
Really, the choice is simple. You vote on Saturday for a government that will continue to make New South Wales No. 1. They made New South Wales No. 1. They took New South Wales from being last in the country to No. 1. There is only one choice: vote for the Baird government.
1:36 pm
Sharon Bird (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Vocational Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
On Saturday, anybody who cares about the future of young people, the future opportunity for those workers who have been restructured out of industries and are going through difficult times, anybody who is concerned about women trying to re-enter the workforce, will vote 1 for TAFE. If you want to vote 1 for TAFE, it means you put the Liberal-National coalition last. Let me tell you what their record is on TAFE. They have cut $1.7 billion out of schools and TAFEs across New South Wales—$1.7 billion. Have a talk to people in local areas; they will tell you that the cost of doing a TAFE course is now thousands of times the original cost. The Smart and Skilled policy is exactly as both Luke Foley and the shadow minister, Ryan Park, describe it—dumb and dumber. Add to that their absolute shambles of implementing a new computer system. This has seen many students turned away, not able to enrol, not sure what their course is going to cost, and they are devastated by how much they are going to have to fork out for TAFE. It is hard enough to get a start and to get the qualifications you need. All the Baird government has done is make it so much more difficult. In comparison we have a tremendous shadow minister in Ryan Park, under Luke Foley's leadership. Put them in charge of TAFE on Sunday to save it.