Jess Teesdale (Bass, Australian Labor Party) | Hansard source

At the start of this MPI, the Labor Party was compared to jellyfish. Perhaps it's the continuously regenerating immortal jellyfish that they compare us to. But I ask the party and I ask the chamber what is the expected lifespan of the National Party? Do we think it might be like the immortal jellyfish, or might it be much shorter?

This budget delivers for my local community in Bass. It is about supporting local businesses. It helps working families with the cost of living, it strengthens our health care and it builds a stronger regional economy for northern Tasmania. Bass is a community built on hard work. From small-business owners to tradies, manufacturers, farmers, tourism operators, health workers, hospitality staff, we have it all in Bass. Our region succeeds because our local people back themselves and they back each other, and we back them too. Of course, agriculture is absolutely the heart of the story. From dairy and cropping to fisheries and exports, our farmers and producers are central to our economy and our identity.

We also know the last decade has been challenging. Global inflation, supply chain disruptions, workforce shortages and rising international costs are putting real pressure on our households and our businesses alike, including our farmers. Our Labor budget responds to these pressures with practical measures that support growth, resilience and opportunity.

For our local businesses, one of the most important measures that they keep talking to me about is making the $20,000 instant asset write-off permanent. That will help 9,253 small businesses in Bass alone, and that certainty really does matter. These businesses in Bass should be able to plan ahead with confidence, invest in new equipment, upgrade their technology, purchase their vehicles or tools and grow their operations. We need to make sure these measures are permanent. They reduce compliance costs and improve cash flow. And we need to make sure that small businesses continue to invest and hire in our local economy. When they invest, our whole region benefits.

The budget's also about making sure people are earning more and keeping more of what they earn. We've got the working Australians tax offset—goodness me, there are a lot of words there!—and the $1,000 instant tax deduction.

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