Ian Goodenough (Moore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The 7th of September marked the second anniversary of the election of the Abbott government, and I take this opportunity to place on record the main local issues of importance in my electorate of Moore. Many constituents have said that they want to see their elected representatives spending the majority of their time in parliament focussed on serious economic and national government issues which directly affect their standard of living, and less time being distracted by side issues and infighting.

One of the primary issues is maintaining low interest rates, as a great proportion of residents in my electorate are paying off their family homes, cars, credit cards, and personal loans. Many residents are also repaying debt on their investment properties, small business loans and overdrafts. If interest rates were to rise to the levels when Labor was in government then many would struggle to meet their monthly repayments. This is the reason why the federal budget has been formulated to restore fiscal responsibility by reducing successive budget deficits, with a plan to get the budget back into surplus. This will enable the Abbott government to begin repaying Australia's national debt, which will see the economy on a strong foundation into the future, maintain Australia's AAA credit rating, and keep interest rates low for the householders of Australia through sound monetary policy. Rising interest rates will adversely affect all Australian households.

Another issue of importance is employment. Currently 75 per cent of Moore residents commute outside of the electorate daily to their workplaces, despite 50,000 jobs being provided locally. Greater employment self-sufficiency is a major issue which is being addressed through local economic development initiatives such as the development of the Gnarabup industrial area, construction activity in the Joondalup CBD and with future redevelopment of the Ocean Reef Marina.

The city of Joondalup has set a target of creating 20,000 new local jobs by 2031. The extension of Lakeside Joondalup shopping city into Western Australia's largest shopping centre has certainly created more retail jobs. I fully support the City of Joondalup's plan to construct a regional performing arts and cultural centre in the heart of Joondalup, which will attract major theatrical musical performances drawing patrons to the area, adding vibrancy and boosting local restaurants, cafes and the hospitality industry.

An estimated gross regional product of $4.8 billion is generated annually within Moore. However, the current cyclical economic downturn of the mining industry has had a flow-on effect on many other sectors within the local economy such as hospitality, retail and services. Many small businesses have experienced a reduction in their turnover and profits. The solution in part is through further economic development and reforms, which will involve greater value-added downstream processing, deregulation and diversification within the local economy to make it less vulnerable to cyclical events. There is a need to attract investment in venture capital, advanced technologies, tourism, services and renewable energy.

Another key initiative is the development of export markets for Australian made goods and services through international free-trade agreements, which reduce or eliminate tariffs imposed by foreign governments on Australian products, making our products more competitive and saleable in overseas markets. Free Trade equates to duty free sales and purchases.

There is an urgent need to upgrade the ageing telecommunications infrastructure network in the older suburbs of Moore, and implement the rollout of the National Broadband Network on a timelier basis to facilitate the growth and development of the innovative digital economy. Improving the communications infrastructure in my electorate on a more timely basis is of critical importance.

I thank members of the community who took the time to complete and return my electorate wide survey, and those who have contacted me to express their views. As a result, I have collated a list of local projects to champion and issues to advocate for going into the future. I will be corresponding with government agencies and departments to further these causes on behalf of my constituents.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It being 8pm, the debate is interrupted.

House adjourned at 20:00