Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to talk to those people in my electorate that want to know a little bit more about finances. On 7 June, I'm having my end of financial year boot camp because I feel that often a lot of school students don't get taught a lot about finances and how to manage and invest money. So I'm going to go to the people in my electorate that have been successful in those areas. They may talk to you about superannuation. They may talk to you about tax rates. They may talk to you about property investment, whether it's positively geared property or negatively geared property. They'll also talk to you about shares. I'll have people there from the electorate that will be able to talk to you if you're 15 or above. Parents, bring your son or daughter along, and you can come along as well. We'll have experts there at the end of financial year boot camp, which will be held at the North Lakes Hotel on 7 June, from 7 pm to 8.30. It's a really good opportunity to come along and learn something new, so please get along.

I also want to talk a little bit about the Brisbane City Council side of my electorate. We've been investing heavily in that area in infrastructure, as well as sporting groups and local community groups. I want to thank the hardworking people in those suburbs for what they do as well—the people down at the Bridgeman Downs area of my electorate who are employing people, and the men at the men's shed that have been involved with my Green Army projects in the past, making different cut-outs and things for that.

The government has been investing in sporting clubs in that area, because we know that a healthy, active society is great for taxpayers because we have less to spend on the health budget—even though we're investing more heavily in that area each year as well. At the Aspley Devils Rugby League Football Club, we've installed a new water-harvesting system. They were spending $20,000 a year on water, and now they're catching all of the water off their roof thanks to the federal government investing there. We're investing in the Aspley Hornets AFL club. Despite being in Queensland, they're the biggest junior AFL club in the country. We've put in $540,000 to upgrade their fields, put in a new women's change room, and add disability access and new coach's box. We've also got the Aspley Memorial Bowls Club solar for their roof and, more recently, a grant to ensure that shade covers are put over one of their greens. I want to thank them for their contribution in fighting so hard for that at Aspley Bowls.

We have seen Bracken Ridge Little Athletics with their new lighting. At the Bracken Ridge Swimming Club, a new change room and toilet are about to be built. I remember that club when I grew up in Bracken Ridge some 30 years ago. They've still got the same change room now, so I'm looking forward to seeing that. The Bracken Ridge District Cricket Club will get new nets.

We also have the Bald Hills Memorial Hall, an iconic hall that was built after World War I and was heavily damaged by fire. This year on Anzac Day, it was reopened after the federal government invested $165,000. I want to thank the memorial committee for the great job that they do and for fighting so hard for that as well. We have investments in the Bracken Ridge Scout Hall and the Bald Hills Scout Hall, with solar panels on their roofs, cutting their power bill.

We've also got massive investment in infrastructure, with $1 billion on the Gateway Motorway, which will hopefully be finished at the end of this year. I know there's a lot of work to do, but it should be finished. In this year's budget we've seen $390 million in rail for Sunshine Coast rail to help the people in North Lakes and so forth by getting more people heading to Brisbane off the freight line and on to passenger rail. Telegraph Road has been completed, and BCC—Brisbane City Council—is doing a bit more work there. That was funded with federal government black spots funding.

I'm also fighting for Linkfield Road, because we know that the state Labor government are going to whack another 2,000 people into the Carseldine Urban Village, and they're not spending anything on infrastructure. So I've written to the state Labor minister to say: 'Make sure you upgrade Linkfield Road. We need Linkfield Road upgraded urgently. Don't go whacking 2,000 more people into Carseldine without investing in infrastructure.' So I'm calling on the state Labor government to do that and to fund the off ramps at Griffin and Murrumba Downs. The member for Dickson and I have just whacked $120 million in there. We need another $30 million from the state member for Murrumba. That should be in the budget as well.

Kindergartens aren't forgotten. I've been looking after kindergartens in the local area, and I want to thank all of the kindergarten staff for the work that they do in reading and teaching those early kids before they go to preschool and then on to prep.

I just wanted to touch upon and talk to the people in the Brisbane City Council. We haven't forgotten you. I, as your federal member for Petrie, am fighting for you every day. We can only do this because of our 'jobs and growth' mantra. We're actually delivering new jobs, which is delivering record investment in taxes and helping the taxpayer.