Joanne Ryan (Lalor, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Unlike the member for Moore, I stand today to say what was not in yesterday's budget. Yesterday's budget was a very disappointing budget for the people of Lalor. It has been a week of contrasts. Last week in communities across Lalor we opened up the state budget to find that our communities were going to be supported, that roads were going to be delivered, that there was congestion-busting funding; but, in the federal budget, we find nothing. In fact, we have found less than nothing for the communities that I represent.

The Treasurer came in last night full of bluster about his tax cuts; but, really, it was cheap-trick Tuesday, because a cheap trick was delivered in here last night. Families in my electorate will be worse off under this government. Four in five of the people working in Lalor—almost 80 per cent—will get no tax relief from this government because they earn under $80,000 a year. This is set against millionaires, who will get a $16,000-a-year tax cut. This is completely and utterly unfair. We did learn one other thing yesterday, and that is that Malcolm Turnbull is definitely a Prime Minister no different to the member for Warringah, who preceded him. One would have thought that he might have brought back the Office for Women, to have a look at this budget to see how it travels for women, but no. (Time expired)

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