Brian Mitchell (Lyons, Australian Labor Party) | Hansard source

It's a great honour—a great privilege, in fact—to be part of a government that has the right priorities for Australia and particularly the right priorities for regional and Middle Australia. On 1 July, the Albanese Labor government will be ensuring that every Australian taxpayer gets a tax cut, and nine in 10 Tasmanian taxpayers will be getting a bigger tax cut than they would have under the now-to-be-discarded stage 3.

The Albanese Labor government is determined to ensure Australians earn more. We want people to earn more; we're backing higher wages. We want people to earn more and keep more of what they earn—not like those opposite, who want Australians to work longer for less. When you hear some of the debate that has been going on over the past week and a half over these tax cuts, you wouldn't believe that those opposite are getting set to actually support these tax cuts, because all the debate has been around how critical they are of the fact that the tax cuts under stage 3 have changed. I have a message for those opposite. If they truly believe that the stage 3 tax cuts are better for this country, then they should vote for them. They have the opportunity. They can vote for the stage 3 tax cuts unchanged and, if they have their way and that goes through the Senate, then the stage 3 tax cuts remain as they are currently legislated. If they truly believe that those stage 3 tax cuts are the best option for this nation, then they should stand by their words and vote for them. But, instead, we hear that they're going to vote for the Labor government's changes because the evidence is clear: the Labor government's changes to tax cuts are better for the vast majority of Australian taxpayers and most particularly lower- and middle-income Australians. That shows that we have the right priorities for the nation.

While we're talking about the right priorities, that brings me to my home state of Tasmania, because you may have heard the news today that Tasmania is going to yet another early election. We have four-year state election terms in Tasmania. Three years ago, the Liberal government went to an election a year early, citing all sorts of reasons, and now, today, they've announced again that they're going a year early. So, rather than getting two four-year terms over eight years, we're getting two three-year terms, equalling six years. This is the sort of 'strong, stable majority Liberal government' that Tasmanians were promised but never received.

Three years ago, of course, Tasmanians elected a Peter Gutwein led majority Liberal government, and, in the three years since, that government has absolutely imploded. Peter Gutwein's gone. He was replaced by Jeremy Rockliff—nice guy, but, gee, it's a hapless government that he leads. They've lost minister after minister after minister. They've lost two of their members to the crossbench. It is diabolical for the state and terrible for investor confidence. They can't manage the health system. They can't manage education. The place is falling apart under the Liberal government, and we desperately need a change.

That's where I come to the right priorities for Tasmania—because Rebecca White is a strong Labor leader in the great tradition of strong Labor leaders. She has youth, but she also has experience. She grew up on a farm, she knows the value of hard work and she knows the value of getting that work done. She's got the right priorities for Tasmania, and I feel actually privileged to call her a friend.

One of the things that Rebecca's going to do if elected Premier on 23 March is expand the services of 18 regional and rural hospitals. A Labor government led by Rebecca will establish a dedicated fund for upgrading regional hospital infrastructure, giving local communities the resources to invest in things like X-ray, ultrasound or ECG machines, diagnostic equipment, extra beds, new rooms and more, and it will expand local services to include 24/7 emergency care, rehabilitation and more. This stands in stark contrast to the failures in regional health under the current minority Liberal government.

I'm pleased to say there will be regional and rural hospital upgrades for a number of district and regional hospitals around Tasmania, including in my electorate of Lyons. The New Norfolk District Hospital, Midlands Multi-Purpose Health Centre in Oatlands, Campbell Town Health and Community Service, Deloraine District Hospital, St Helens District Hospital and Community Centre, St Marys Community Health Centre, May Shaw Health Centre in Swansea, Toosey Aged and Community Care in Longford and Tasman Multi-Purpose Service down in Nubeena can all look forward to upgrades under a Tasmanian Labor government led by Rebecca White.

A Labor government under Rebecca White will also upgrade six local ambulance stations to operate 24/7, because where you live shouldn't determine whether you live or die in an emergency. Labor will upgrade ambulance stations in six regional centres to operate 24/7, with staffing by permanent paramedics. Of those six, three are in my electorate. There's Nubeena down there on the Tasman Peninsula, Swansea on the east coast and Oatlands in the midlands. It's a very important initiative by Rebecca White and the Tasmania Labor team.

We all know that it's getting more difficult to hire doctors and health professionals for the regions. Labor has a plan to offer free degrees for local doctors, nurses and health workers in order to get more people on the books in hospitals in local communities. We know Tasmania needs more nurses, paramedics, doctors and allied health workers. They are the backbone of our public health system. Labor, under Rebecca White, has a plan to attract and train 150 new health workers by offering free university degrees to encourage them to come to Tasmania and work in Tasmania for at least three years. These are great health initiatives from the Tasmanian Labor team.

There are a whole raft of other priority plan areas from the Labor team under Rebecca, including on housing and education. There are all sorts of areas that Labor is focusing on. Rebecca White has the right priorities for Tasmania. She has been laser focused during her term as opposition leader on holding the failed Liberal minority government to account. The cost of living, health and housing have been Rebecca White's priorities and they will be the priorities of Rebecca White as Premier. I look forward to 23 March and the election of a Rebecca White Labor government in Tasmania.

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