House debates

Thursday, 11 May 2017

Statements by Members

Budget

1:39 pm

Photo of Susan TemplemanSusan Templeman (Macquarie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

It beggars belief that those on the other side can talk about fairness in funding in this budget when they are content to slash $22 billion from schools yet at the same time give big business a $50 billion tax cut. That is $22 billion less than students would have received under a Labor government over the next 10 years. That is $22 billion that would employ teachers. It would provide speech therapists. It would put into schools the supports that benefit students and teachers alike. That is an average of $2.4 million less per school.

For my Catholic and public schools in Macquarie, in the Blue Mountains and in the Hawkesbury over the next two years alone, the difference under Labor's fully funded plan and the Liberals' sham is horrifying. I have seen the figures. Over the next two years alone, schools like Windsor High School, Winmalee High School, Warrimoo and Wilberforce will be hundreds of thousands of dollars worse off. Under a Labor government, by 2019 every school in New South Wales would have achieved 95 per cent of their schooling resource standard. That meant a level playing field for students and a strong base for our economic future. Under the Libs, they might never get there, and then the price that we as a society pay for that failure to invest in education is going to be extremely high. Those opposite should be absolutely ashamed of themselves.

1:41 pm

Photo of Ken O'DowdKen O'Dowd (Flynn, National Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I want to talk this afternoon on the budget and the coalition versus Labor. The difference is very clear. The coalition is the only team in this place that builds infrastructure, keeps us safe and funds programs that make a difference to the most vulnerable. We are serious about strong borders. Labor had a border security disaster. 'Stop the boats' was a slogan back in 2013, and we made that into an outcome. We have not seen an illegal boat on our shores since the policy was introduced in 2013. We have secured our borders. We will continue to secure Australia with a $321 million boost to the AFP and 300 more personnel. Labor saw 52,000 illegal arrivals in Australia in their period of 2007-2013, allowed 1,200 desperate people to drown in the seas between here and Indonesia. The public do not accept people smuggling and neither does the coalition.

Lower business taxes drive small business and better jobs for all Australians. It is not government that drives the economy; it is small private enterprises that drive our economy. They are the people who employ people, and we must give them assistance where we can. The US tax rate— (Time expired)

1:42 pm

Photo of Tim HammondTim Hammond (Perth, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I tell you what. You thought the measures in this budget were bad. You thought they were no good. When it comes to what is being handed out for Western Australia, the zombie measures in this budget look like Olympic-grade triathletes! Not only is there no new money for Western Australia, regardless of what the member for Tangney would like to have us believe; but we go backwards. There is no new money for infrastructure, no new money for rail and none for road. We lose $500 million from education and health over the forward estimates. Sure, we might get a measly top-up of 226 for the GST. It is not even a drop in the bucket.

I encourage the Treasurer to get out his calculator and listen to this number. That sends Western Australia backwards by $274 million. Not only does it send us backward in relation to health and education; but it sends us backwards in relation to the overall cuts to education. There is $2.4 billion ripped out of Western Australian education systems over the course of the next 10 years. This mob should hang their heads in shame.

Not only that; they have squibbed it on the banks. They have squibbed it on housing affordability. They have squibbed it everywhere you look in this budget. We do not have a damp squib here; we have a messy, sodden, soaking hot mess. That is this government. That is this budget. (Time expired)

Mr Robert interjecting

Photo of Mark CoultonMark Coulton (Parkes, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The member for Fadden will resume his seat.

1:44 pm

Photo of Ted O'BrienTed O'Brien (Fairfax, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I have to say today the opposition are sounding a little bit desperate.

A government member: On the ropes.

They are on the ropes, aren't they? I think the opposition might know that the Australian people are onto them. But rest assured, tonight they will put on a theatrical show as their fearless leader stands for the delivery of his budget reply speech. They will be screaming out, 'Hear, hear,' in camouflage of the truth, and that is that their wonderful emperor has no clothes. The Labor Party has nothing. They promised the NDIS, but they did not fund it. They championed Gonski, but only made false promises. They talked tough on borders, but then 1,200 people died at sea. They promised to help working families, but failed to reform child care. They got excited about energy policies, but only drove up electricity prices. They said they would protect the little guy and then denied tax cuts for small businesses.

Compare that to the coalition: NDIS—fully funded; schools—the real Gonski; border protection—secure; child care—flexible and affordable; power prices—lower; and small businesses—less tax and more jobs; because with the coalition it is a budget that delivers security, opportunity and fairness. (Time expired)