Claire Clutterham (Sturt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

If you stand still, you don't move forward. Things stay where they are, and opportunity passes you by. If you never step out of your comfort zone, never take a risk, never seek to challenge, then things will stay the same. Taking risks and managing risks is all about navigating uncertainty. It goes beyond just avoiding the risk, to balance what could go wrong, the downside, with what could go right, the upside. What has been lost in the chaos of unbalanced reporting, scare campaigns and dedicated social media crusades deliberately designed to spread misinformation is that this budget contains many positives for Australian individuals and businesses. There are many things that could go right, but, if you don't take the risk, if you don't look for these opportunities, you will never know what could go right. In not knowing this, you can't move forward.

This government is prepared to take risks in order to move forward. The status quo, particularly with certain tax settings and housing, is not working. Doing nothing, keeping things the same, will mean that nothing will change. So the government asked, 'What could go right if we undertake reform and take some political heat in the name of trying to move forward?' So what could go right with this budget? Well, 75,000 first home owners could be in their own home within the decade. What else? Businesses could benefit from loss-carry-back provisions, the $20,000 instant asset write-off, regulatory reforms resulting in a reduction in compliance costs, and tax incentives for investment by venture capital. Businesses will also continue to benefit from the existing four capital gains tax exemptions.

And right now, across Australia, genuine and meaningful consultation is taking place—as it should—with the business community about some of the more controversial features of the proposed capital gains tax reform so we can understand the required settings for things to go right. We understand and we want to create an environment which acknowledges and rewards risk taking, particularly by small business, who so often provide meaningful employment to people—who then pay income tax—and who provide the products and services our community needs and demands. That is why genuine, meaningful consultation is happening, and I would like to thank the 20 or so businesses who joined me at my Sturt small-business forum last Thursday to do just that. The discussion was productive, honest and professional, and it resulted in meaningful feedback. Conversations of this nature are going on around the country.

Now, let's talk about promises. When we came to government, we promised to cut income taxes. That promise has been delivered, with more delivery to come. We promised to make medicines cheaper. That has been delivered, with PBS scripts now costing just $25—or $7.70, frozen until the end of the decade, for concession card holders. We promised to increase bulk-billing rates. This has been delivered in spades, including in my electorate of Sturt, where the number of fully bulk-billed practices has doubled this year to 22. We promised to reduce student debt, and this has been delivered, with thousands of students receiving a 20 per cent cut to the cost of their education. We promised more urgent care clinics across the country and we have delivered them, including one on the Norwood parade in Sturt, which is now a permanent feature of the healthcare system. We promised free TAFE and we have delivered free TAFE, with thousands of Australians answering the call to obtain a qualification in critical industries, such as nursing, early childhood education, and building and construction. We promised paid prac and we have delivered $300 a week to students out on unpaid, lengthy teaching, nursing and social work placements. We promised to make it easier to buy a home, we have delivered and we will continue to deliver, with thousands of young Australians taking the keys to their first home, including just under 500 in my electorate. We're talking about promises; this government made them and has kept them.

Bold reform means taking risks and asking what could go right as well as examining what the downside might be. That's important. We'll continue to take risks to deliver for the Australian people because we want and need to move forward, and that is the difference between the progressive and conservative sides of politics.

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