Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Listening to the contribution from the member for Aston was interesting. He kept going on about a range of things that have happened since the change of government. People in this country and in my electorate that I have been speaking to are enormously proud of those changes. Certainly the people in my electorate are very pleased that the country has changed since the election last year and that this government is committed to doing things on the education revolution, climate change and other things.

Today I rise in support of the Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Economic Security Strategy) Bill 2008, the Appropriation (Economic Security Strategy) Bill (No. 1) 2008-2009 and the Appropriation (Economic Security Strategy) Bill (No. 2) 2008-2009. As we know, the global financial crisis is affecting markets across the world, including in Australia. We are not immune from these effects and there is no point pretending that we are. It is affecting economic confidence in Australia and across the globe. It is the worst global financial crisis since the Great Depression. The Rudd government has taken decisive and early action to protect Australia’s economy from this global financial crisis. Although the Australian economy is strong and we remain better placed to deal with this financial crisis than many other nations, we have to act in a responsible way to ensure we do strengthen the economy.

Part of the Rudd government’s response to this financial crisis is the Economic Security Strategy. It is a strategy that will help safeguard our economy. It is a strategy that will strengthen the Australian economy. It is a strategy that will support Australian households in extraordinary economic times. The Rudd government’s $10.4 billion strategy contains five key measures: $4.8 billion for an immediate down payment on long-term pension reform; $3.9 billion in support payments for low- and middle-income families; a $1.5 billion investment to help first home buyers purchase a home; and $187 million to create 56,000 new training places in 2008-09. Finally, this responsible strategy has a nation-building component: to accelerate the implementation of the government’s three nation-building funds and to bring forward the commencement of investment in nation-building projects.

We are acting now for Australia’s long-term future in this global economic crisis. The Economic Security Strategy prepares us for a strong future. The Rudd government has taken this action to make sure working families and pensioners have a secure future and the benefits of a strong economy. In my electorate of Franklin, more than 30,000 people will receive a payment under the Economic Security Strategy. These people represent senior Australians, mums and dads, carers and those with a disability. They represent the people in my electorate that I want to help during these uncertain economic times.

Under the Rudd government’s Economic Security Strategy there will be a payment of $1,400 to singles or $2,100 to couples who, on 14 October, were in receipt of the age pension, disability support pension, carer payment, wife pension, widow B pension, service pension or income support supplement or who had a Commonwealth seniors health card. As I said earlier, that will include a significant number of my constituents. If there is a couple where one person is entitled but the other is not, the payment will be $1,050. People who are receiving a carer allowance will receive $1,000 for each eligible person in their care.

The Rudd government will invest $3.9 billion to provide immediate financial support to help around two million Australian families, or around 3.9 million Australian children. Over 10,000 families in Franklin receive family tax benefit A and they will receive this immediate financial support. Parents of dependent children who receive youth allowance, Abstudy living allowance or an education allowance under the Veterans’ Children Education Scheme or the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act will also receive the $1,000 payment for each eligible child. These payments will be delivered over the fortnight commencing 8 December this year—assisting families just before Christmas, which we all know is one of the very difficult and most expensive times of the year.

I know these payments will be well received by those in urgent need in my electorate. I take this opportunity to quote just one of the many people who contacted my office after the announcement:

Congratulations on the actions of the government to confront our present economic problems. This is a great response to a situation that needed firm measures.

These comments clearly show that the community does welcome this package and that it will provide immediate support to people who need it most. I need to put it on the record that these people were not eligible for a payment but were very pleased that other people were receiving it—people that needed it. This government is responding to the challenging economic times through this strategy.

This strategy will assist not only Australian households but also Australian industry. The Economic Security Strategy will make first home buyers eligible for grants of up to $21,000 with the first home owners boost initiative to strengthen construction activity in the housing market. This initiative is designed to stimulate housing activity and to give first home buyers a better chance in the housing market. In my electorate of Franklin there are three rapidly growing municipalities: Clarence, Kingborough and Brighton. Many young Tasmanians are contemplating entering the housing market for the first time, and many of them will be buying their first home in one of these rapidly growing areas of southern Tasmania. My electorate office has received numerous calls from parents wanting to know when and how their children can access the first home owners grant of $21,000.

Across Australia it is estimated that more than 150,000 first home buyers will benefit from this scheme. And, for those first home buyers who choose to buy an established home, the grant which they are currently entitled to has doubled from $7,000 to $14,000. This initiative has been welcomed by many but particularly the Housing Industry Association. HIA expects the first home owner boost initiative to provide a $15,000 boost in the production of new dwellings. Managing Director of HIA Ron Silberberg said:

This measure will provide an immediate stimulus for new housing and help restore business confidence across the sector particularly in the building product manufacturing sector.

This government will invest around $1.5 billion in the housing market through this initiative.

This Economic Security Strategy also includes jobs and training. The Rudd government will invest $187 million to create an additional 56,000 training places this financial year. This funding injection will effectively double the Productivity Places Program from 57,000 to 113,000 in 2008-09. This will take the government’s total investment in training places since April this year to more than $400 million. These new places will take the Rudd government’s total commitment to the Productivity Places Program to more than $2 billion, with more than 700,000 new training places created over five years. The new places will be available at certificate II, III and IV levels, with 10,000 places to be allocated as structural adjustment places to provide retraining opportunities and support for displaced workers. There has been a huge demand for training since the Productivity Places Program began, with more than 50,000 job seekers enrolled and over 11,000 having already completed their training in areas of skill shortage.

This $10.4 billion stimulus package also has a nation-building element to it, as I mentioned earlier. The government will fast-track its nation-building agenda to help shield Australians from the global financial crisis and to plan for our future. Government ministers will bring forward their interim infrastructure report so that work can commence in 2009 on projects in the key areas of education and research, health and hospitals, transport and communications. I find it hard to believe that in a time of global financial crisis—at a time when there are real challenges in the global economy—those opposite are dragging their feet when it comes to supporting our programs. As the Prime Minister said in the parliament on Monday, it would be good if we had bipartisan support, and not just in name but in reality, for the key challenges we face.

The Australian people want action. They want to know that the representatives they elected are working together in this time of uncertainty to secure the Australian economy; they do not want uncertainty. All those opposite have been doing is muddying the waters and causing uncertainty for the millions of Australians who want to know the Australian economy will be secure. This government has taken action with its Economic Security Strategy. Not only have we devised measures in the strategy but also we are taking action in other matters, such as the guarantee on bank deposits. This government has taken a responsible approach to protecting the Australian economy and supporting Australian households with this stimulus package. What Australian people now want is for those opposite to take some decisive action. The action that the community wants and deserves is for those opposite to work with this government in a bipartisan way to strengthen the Australian economy, rather than continually sniping at and undermining it from the sidelines.

On the day that this package was announced, the Leader of the Opposition said he supported it. Since that time, though, he and his team have done nothing but snipe at and undermine this package that is clearly supported by the majority of Australians. This is a time when we need to work together. It is what the Australian people expect and it is what they deserve. This government is determined to act to protect Australia’s economy. Equally important is the need to support households during this economic slowdown. I urge those opposite to take a real bipartisan stance, support the package in total and keep supporting it in the community and in the media. I commend these bills to the House.

See this speech in context