Ross Vasta (Bonner, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'm not sure what budget the members of the opposition were listening to last night, but it clearly wasn't the one the coalition delivered. The constituents that I've spoken to in Bonner today are pleased that the coalition has delivered a strong budget with no taxes that will take away their hard-earned cash. We all know Labor can't handle money. That's why they come after yours. The constituents of Bonner can rest easy knowing the coalition is delivering for them. More than 71,000 constituents in Bonner will benefit from the tax relief in the 2018-19 budget, thanks to the coalition's Personal Income Tax Plan, and almost 30,000 of those people will receive the full tax offset of $1,080, which will go back into their own pockets. These are the largest personal income tax cuts since the Howard government. For a family in Bonner, this money will mean more fuel and more food on the table. For one local dad, Jake Smith, it will mean more quality time, doing the things that he, his wife and their two daughters love doing together—like going to the movies or being able to drive to the beach for the day.

Since we came into government, we also have increased funding to all hospitals in Queensland by 84 per cent, and the GP bulk-billing rate in Bonner is now 79 per cent. Last year, over 739,353 GP visits were bulk-billed in Bonner—179,000 more than in Labor's last year in government.

Thanks to the coalition, 17,564 small and medium businesses in Bonner will benefit from our tax relief measures. More than 17,000 small and medium businesses will also benefit from the coalition's extension of the instant asset write-off scheme, enabling them to invest in machinery and equipment up to the value of $30,000. Investing in business is investing in jobs. When the coalition assumed its rightful place in 2013, the unemployment rate in Bonner was 5.2 per cent. It's now 4.7 per cent. Nationally, there are fewer people on welfare. We're working hard for the hardworking people in Bonner.

A strong economy means that the coalition is able to deliver and invest in vital infrastructure that communities like mine in Bonner desperately need. As many locals already know, there's not a week that goes by when I'm not speaking to people at the Manly markets down on Edith Street, Wynnum, or visiting the Lindum station crossing and witnessing firsthand the horrors of this intersection. I've collected more than 7,000 signatures to fix Lindum. I've hosted ministers, senators and locals at the intersection, calling for a fix, and I've been working hard with the Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population, the Hon. Alan Tudge, to secure funding for this crossing. Now, thanks to the Morrison government's strong economic management, the community's full support and my strong advocacy, we've done it. In last night's budget it was announced that the coalition government will contribute $85 million to fix Lindum crossing in Wynnum West. This is not an election promise; this is money in the bank.

Not only have I been able to fight for this funding in Bonner; I've also been able to secure $12 million to fix the Newnham Road and Wecker Road intersection at Mount Gravatt and also $6 million to fix the intersection at Rickertt Road and Chelsea Road. The coalition, in our recent budget, have delivered for all Australians, especially the families in my electorate of Bonner. We're able to do it not by putting our hands in the pockets of hardworking Australians. Just remember, Labor is the bill that you and your family cannot afford.

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