Vince Connelly (Stirling, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

This budget is getting Australia back on track. As the Treasurer said in his budget night speech, Australia's economic engine is roaring back to life. Consumer sentiment is at its highest level in 11 years, meaning business conditions are at an all-time high and more Australians are in work than ever before. This budget is creating jobs, guaranteeing essential services and building a more resilient and secure Australia. The Morrison government's plan is working, and Australia is far better positioned than many countries throughout the world.

We've come a long way from where we were just seven months ago when the last budget was handed down, with almost half a million jobs created since October 2020. Unemployment rates have dropped to 5½ per cent and full-time employment is at a record high. Labor force figures released just last week show that there were more than 13 million Australians in work in April 2021, with the level of employment now 0.4 per cent above its pre-COVID level in March 2020 and 17.4 per cent higher than May last year when we were in the midst of the pandemic.

We've emerged out of the other side of the immediate response phase of the pandemic, thanks to unprecedented support from our government, including JobKeeper, which kept 3.8 million people in their jobs. This included 23,000 employees in my electorate of Stirling. People still come up to me and voice their appreciation of being able to remain connected to their jobs, or, for those who are employers, to be able to keep their employees employed. We also saw JobSeeker help around 1.5 million people without work and the cashflow boost which supported 800,000 businesses and not-for-profits.

We're now on the road to recovery, but we're not out of the woods yet when it comes to COVID-19. First and foremost, we need to keep Australians safe. This is why we see the investment of a further $1.9 billion allocated in this budget for the rollout of vaccines. We also see in this budget another $1.5 billion allocated for COVID related health services.

Over ten million hardworking Australian's are set to benefit from tax cuts. In my own electorate of Stirling, this sees more than 62,000 constituents who will have more money in their pockets thanks to that tax relief, comprising up to $2,745—and that will be this year. Ninety-nine per cent of businesses employing 11 million Australians will have more cash in their hands because they're able to write off the full value of eligible assets purchased. This will generate opportunities for small businesses to further continue to fill our nation's order books, not to mention more than 450,000 new training places created through the JobTrainer Fund, while 50 per cent wage subsidies will support over 170,000 new apprenticeships and traineeships.

But, it doesn't stop there. Despite being in the middle of a once-in-a-century pandemic, the Morrison government gave Australians the chance to build a new home or to substantially renovate their existing home, through grants of up to $25,000 under the HomeBuilder program. In WA alone we've seen more than 17,700 applications, and this initiative is continuing to support both jobs and the construction sector.

This government's support for Australians, especially during the pandemic, has remained unwavering. But it still doesn't stop there. This budget invests in major road and rail projects, including across Western Australia, aimed at boosting road safety and enhancing community connectivity. There is $1.6 billion being committed in Western Australia for projects that ease congestion and connect communities, and $41.2 million of that has been committed in my electorate of Stirling. The Wanneroo Road and Morley Drive intersection in Balcatta has been flagged as the third worst intersection in Perth for congestion and for the frequency of crashes. The extra $2.5 million committed to this area in this budget will significantly bolster safety and traffic flow and will take our federal government's commitment to the improvement of this intersection to $10 million.

I recently visited the Erindale Road and Reid Highway intersection, along with our federal finance minister, Simon Birmingham. This intersection is one that many residents in my electorate of Stirling know only too well for its congestion and lack of safety, particularly during peak hours. I'm looking forward to seeing a business case for the upgrading of this intersection getting underway in the first quarter of next year, thanks to a $2 million funding injection by this federal government. These are two of the many projects that the Morrison government is helping to make a reality.

The proposed incorporation of a trackless tram from Glendalough Station through to Scarborough Beach is an innovative transport solution that will get cars off our roads and ease the heavy burden of beachside parking.

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