John McVeigh (Groom, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

With the Turnbull government's 2017-18 budget having been handed down, it is timely to take a step back and consider its role in supporting the families, businesses and future prospects of the people of my electorate of Groom. I have discussed that in the debate on the appropriation bills, but I believe it is also vital to look beyond the daily political debate in this place and truly consider the efforts of the government and its alignment with the values and aspirations of any region.

As has been confirmed in numerous assessments and surveys over the years, Toowoomba, the largest population centre in Groom, is an internationally recognised family-friendly city. Our lifestyle, climate, infrastructure and service provision are the envy of much of the rest of the country. We did not get there by accident. We share a proud history of pioneering spirit, particularly in agriculture, based on family farming and family small business models. Many retail, manufacturing and service small businesses have their roots on the Darling Downs and, from the perspective of larger commercial operations, we have a history of spurring national names over the last century, including Defiance Milling, Toowoomba Foundry and the Southern Cross windmill, and KR Darling Downs Smallgoods, and firms of today such as Weis Frozen Foods and Russell Mineral Equipment. Our region has always celebrated enterprise and entrepreneurialism.

I am proud to be part of a coalition government that is so focused on the importance of the family business and family group, above all else, as the basis of our society. In Groom, as I have said, such a focus is the hallmark of our region, as is the importance of recognising and supporting individual enterprise along with the recognition that we should have small government in place to support and encourage people and businesses; to incentivise them, not punish them with tax increases and intervention as those opposite might do; and to do so in a way that recognises that it is business and individuals that create wealth and employment in our country—not government, which more often than not should simply get out of the way. I draw the correlation therefore between what our region needs for its future, our government's ethos as I have outlined and the fact that in this budget we have delivered small business tax cuts, training opportunities and incentives for individuals and, particularly, small business to get on, to invest and to employ.

I reflect too on the importance of security for the people of Groom, both locally and internationally. Yesterday and today we are reeling from the tragic loss of one of our finest police officers whilst protecting all of us. While we grieve and support his family and colleagues, we must also recognise, as I am sure those of all political persuasions do, the importance of those who protect us, whether it is a state or territory government's police service, or the federal government Federal Police and Defence Force personnel. We are blessed with professional and courageous people in all such roles in our community of Groom, and the importance of our budgetary recognition, in our case as a federal government, cannot be ignored. It must continue to be prioritised as a key responsibility of any movement.

I am proud of the Army Aviation Centre Oakey at Swartz Barracks and the electronic warfare base at Borneo Barracks, Cabarlah, in our region and of the continued resourcing of them and other establishments around our country. The budget's defence investment plan provides significant opportunities for our regional businesses in Groom and the challenge is there for us to step up, as I have been discussing with the Toowoomba Regional Council and with the Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise economic development organisation.

Toowoomba, as recognised by UNESCO, is a model city of peace and harmony, and we will lean on that shared vison as we deal with the current grief that we face. Our community will pull together as it has done before. Our community and faith leaders regularly come together, jointly, as Christians, Muslims, Buddhists and other great faiths from across the globe. Our government certainly recognises the rights and freedoms of all peoples and the universal rights, of course, of freedom of thought, worship, speech and association. But, as is the case with any fundamental right, so too do the individual and collective have a responsibility to respect the Australian laws that go with it.

Our government's focus on the resourcing of border security is as important in Groom as it is elsewhere in the country. We are proud to be a refugee welcome zone but insist that all recognise our traditions and our Australian way of life. As our government recognises that sensible and respectful relations between our cultures is dependent on protections, as I have said, so too is it dependent on an open economy that does not close us off from opportunity and engagement. In Groom, that is certainly the case. Free trade agreements and infrastructure support for export activity have been secured during the Turnbull government's term in office and in this budget.

I, and others of my colleagues, have rightly lauded the record infrastructure investment of the Turnbull government. The road, rail and air infrastructure underway, planned and proposed is indeed confirmation that the Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, is the infrastructure Prime Minster. Groom is the beneficiary of significant road and rail government allocations which complement the initiative of our private international airport at Wellcamp. It is important to support both the initiative of our community in exciting times and the serious needs of others when life is challenging. Our education investment in Groom supports such initiative, and the guaranteed Medicare and fully funded NDIS properly provides essential support where required. While we debate budgets, legislation and policy in this place, I suggest that it is vital to remember the community needs, aspirations and values on which they should depend to meet and support those requirements.

If we believe in equal opportunity for all, and the coalition government does, if we believe in the security of our people, our way of life and Australian values, and the coalition government does, and if we are committed to a humane society where those who cannot provide for themselves can live in dignity, and the coalition government is—if we believe all of that—a balanced and responsible approach to budgeting essential services and facilitation of catalytic support and infrastructure is essential.

I am proud to represent the Groom community here in this House and to, in particular, work behind the scenes to ensure the professed values of our coalition government continue to meet their needs through this budget, legislation that is before us and competent policy development for the future. We certainly must debate figures, trends and statistics, but they only make sense, particularly in Groom, if we recognise and abide by the values that I have outlined.