Pat Conaghan (Cowper, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

My constituents, particularly older constituents, often talk to me about government no longer governing with long-term vision or for nation-building projects. Last night's budget was one of the worst examples of a 'sugar hit' budget in living memory. By sugar hit, I mean small, meaningless examples of instant gratification rather than long-term health of our country. Labor are focused solely on the next five weeks, not the next five years and certainly not the next 50 years. They continue to ignore the regions, instead pouring their focus into marginal seats in metropolitan suburbs around the country. We've heard the saying, 'NSW does not stand for Newcastle, Sydney and Western Sydney.' The Nationals in government are the only champion of the regions and what we actually need right now.

In the past three years, we've seen nothing but cuts to funding streams that the Nationals introduced to protect regional interests and to ensure their growth—projects like the Building Better Regions Fund, which was unceremoniously axed and replaced with a program that promised less than one-tenth of the coalition's funding. I meet with my mayors every month, and I've heard from every single one of them, from the councils, that, during the last three years, their applications for funding have again been rejected. Projects that I'm talking about include the Bellingen Shire Council's Sewering Coastal Villages project, which would not only maintain the current system and ensure that it meets the EPA and environmental standards but set the shire on a course to be able to build new homes that our region desperately needs. Without sewer, you can't build it. It's as simple as that. Similarly, applications for the Valla Urban Growth Area in the Nambucca Valley were again rejected despite funding setting up the shire to be able to build new homes. This funding could have opened up up to 7,700 lots. That would make a world of difference for my electorate and those people living there to get a roof over their heads. There was the recent rejection of ShoreTrack's application, which would have enabled their amazing youth training program to continue for another two years. This inspirational community minded organisation has a 93 per cent success rate of training youth who have disengaged with traditional schooling and who are at risk. You have to ask, 'How could a program aimed at setting troubled youth up for a prosperous future not be considered valuable by this government?' Our communities are rife with youth crime and desperately need more gold standards like ShoreTrack.

Essentially, every one of Labor's funding promises around housing, sustainability and safer communities has been solely aimed at their own metropolitan seats. This budget solidifies the fact no-one will be left behind—that is, of course, if you don't live in the regions. The Stronger Communities Programme, the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program, the Growing Regions Program and the Regional Precincts and Partnership Program are all critical to building community infrastructure in regional Australia, and there has been absolutely no acknowledgement to this. Instead of recognising all of this and reducing red tape, stripping away barriers to growth and providing the right incentives for small business to thrive, Labor have doubled down on their administrative and input-cost pain. This is not only pushing already fragile businesses to the brink of closure; it is ensuring that costs continue to be passed on to the consumer and adding to inflation. It's time to cut the waste, cut the tokenism and focus on getting the budget and our country back on track.

See this speech in context