Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party, Assistant Minister for Children and Families) | Hansard source

The coalition government has handed down a plan for a stronger future and a long-term economic plan in this year's budget. People in my electorate of Capricornia will be happy with the level of support and investment in their area. The coalition government is delivering temporary and targeted cost-of-living relief for households; tax relief for small businesses; more jobs; record investments in health, education and other essential services—roads, rail and dams; and further investment in stronger defence, borders and security. That's what we need for our future.

We are addressing key cost-of-living pressures with economic relief to Australian households. For the next six months, Australians will save 22c a litre every time they fill up their cars. This temporary reduction in fuel excise will not come at a cost to road funding, which will see more than $12 billion spent in the coming year. This will help the owners of around 82,000 passenger vehicles in Capricornia. We are delivering a new one-off $420 cost-of-living tax offset for more than 10 million low- and middle-income earners. Individuals already receiving the low- and middle-income tax offset will now receive up to $1,500, and couples up to $3,000, from 1 July this year. Our tax plan has already helped over 69,000 people in Capricornia. We are helping pensioners, carers, veterans, jobseekers, eligible self-funded retirees and concession card holders with a new, one-off $250 cost-of-living payment. Together with existing indexation arrangements, this will see a single pensioner receive more than $500 in additional support over the next six months, just when they need it most. This is expected to help over 14,000 pensioners in Capricornia.

In Capricornia, federal funding will be flowing to many vital local projects, including $483 million towards the construction of Urannah Dam in the north of my electorate; $6 million to Beef Australia 2024; $14.4 million to Phillips Creek Bridge on Saraji Road near Moranbah; an extra $100,000 to support the construction of a new CWA hall in Collinsville, on top of the $325,000 already provided; over $6 million to upgrade Artillery Road and Greenlake Road; over $1 million to upgrade Dysart-Clermont Road; and over $1 million to upgrade Eaglefield Road.

There are many more positive measures in the budget—helping more Australians to own their own home, investing in apprentices and skills, boosting manufacturing, investing more in women's safety and guaranteeing essential health services. This is not a time to change course and risk our economic recovery with Labor. People are rightly petrified of a Labor-Greens alliance in Capricornia, where the Labor candidate has said he's happy to do a backroom deal with the Greens to get their support. The 2022-23 budget delivers for Capricornia, and I will continue to fight for my electorate now and well into the future.

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